A Little Back Story…
In November 2022, I had the opportunity of visiting one of the coolest African food restaurants in the heart of Hamilton’s downtown called Afrolicious. This would mark my first encounter with Sadza or Ugali.
Before going there, I had wondered what I would be ordering as I like to indulge in food I have yet to try and trust me when I say I have tried a variety of African dishes from different cultures. I was drawn to a combo that included the Sadza/Ugali and a beef stew on the side.
The beef pieces were in bite sizes and accompanied each bite of the Sadza which caused a burst of flavours in my mouth.
I knew that this would be something I would find easy to make at home on a day I feel like eating something out of the usual. This was especially easy for me because, many of our swallows in Nigeria are made using similar methods, some good examples would be fufu or amala.
What is Sadza?
As you have seen I use the terms “Sadza” and “Ugali” interchangeably, this is because they are pretty much the same thing. Sadza is what it is called in Zimbabwe, Ugali in Kenya and Tanzania, Nshima in Malawi and Zambia, and simply Pap in South Africa.
This starchy thick porridge is made with finely ground white cornmeal called mealie-meal. I had a friend from Zimbabwe who mentioned the Sadza is eaten with different stews and vegetable sides almost every other day.
The texture of your Sadza mostly depends on the amount of cornmeal you use; for a thicker consistency, add more cornmeal, but for an in-between texture (not too soft or thick) as I prefer, you should use less cornmeal.
In Zimbabwe, Sadza in its loose pap form is given to babies as the first meal when introducing solids, this can be likened to the semolina pap.
Sadza/Ugali would pair nicely with How to Cook Delicious Nigerian Egusi Soup, How to Cook Edikang Ikong (Southern Nigerian Collard Greens), How to Make Sumptuous Ogbono Soup (Wild Mango Seed Stew)
How to Make Sadza/Ugali (African Cornmeal)
It starts with bringing water to a boil, salt is added to the boiled water for a bit of taste and I added in softened unsalted butter halfway through for some extra flavour. The butter part is optional.
It is important to mix well with a wooden spatula or whisk when incorporating the cornmeal in the boiling water to prevent lumps of cornmeal in the final product. I had vegetable soup at home which is what I used as my side, but you can certainly pair this with any stew, collard greens, stir-fry veggies of your choice, anything that suits your taste is fine. This is a quick and easy recipe, so let’s get to it!
Explore other savoury recipes such as Authentic Efo Riro Recipe (Nigerian Spinach Stew)
SADZA/UGALI RECIPE
Sadza/Ugali Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of white cornmeal
- 4 cups of water
- 1 Tbsp of soft unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp of salt
Instructions
- Add the water into a pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat slightly, add in the salt.
- Start to incorporate the cornmeal into the boiled water gradually while mixing vigorously to prevent lumps from forming. This can be done using a wooden spatula/spoon or whisk.
- When the consistency is to your liking, add in the unsalted butter and cover on medium heat for 10-15 mins so the pap cooks.
- Start to turn the Sadza with your wooden spatula/spoon on the medium heat for another 5 mins till smooth.
- Use the hollow part of the spoon to mould into a ball-like shape.
- Serve with your choice of relish.
Video
Notes
- Some other methods of making this start with mixing a portion of the cornmeal, salt, and water and bringing that to a boil before going in with the rest of the cornmeal. This is just another method of making it as the results are the same.
- Ensure to reduce the heat when the water has boiled to prevent large bubbles of cornmeal from splashing or burning you.
- The measurements above produce a consistency that was great for me, but if you prefer something softer or thicker, kindly adjust the cornmeal or water quantities. Also bear in mind that the Sadza hardens when cooling, so starting semi-soft might not be a bad idea.
