Eboo is a cherished sauce from Eastern and Northern Uganda. In this recipe, we explore it's preparation by the Iteso, a tribe from the East. It is very simple to prepare and quite delicious.


TIME
Prep: 10 Mins
Cooking: 15 Mins
Total Time: 25 Mins


INGREDIENTS & TOOLS
 Eboo (Gobe) - 2 bundles
Otigo (Okra as substitute) - 1 bundle
Soda bicarbonate  (Rock salt as substitute)- 1 teaspoon 
Odii (Peanut butter) - 2 serving spoons
Salt to taste
Water- about 1 litre



INSTRUCTIONS

Pluck the leaves off the bundles. 

Wash the leaves thoroughly with clean water and chop them up.

Boil these in water for about 10-15 minutes. Please monitor the boiling process so that it does not pour, as it forms like milk.

Add salt to taste, the Odii and mix well.

Serve warm with Atapa (millet bread), Sweet potatoes, Cassava or Matooke.


 

In our Quick and Easy- I am sharing one of my favorites! This is an easier way to prepare beef in Ground nuts. Even without going through the whole process of roasting beef, it is possible to enjoy tasty beef in Ground nuts. 



TIME
Prep: 5 Mins
Cooking: 40 Mins
Total Time: 45 Mins


INGREDIENTS & TOOLS
 250gms pounded Gnuts
1 onion
Salt to taste
Left over beef and beef stew



INSTRUCTIONS

Using a little water, make a smooth groundnuts paste.

Using a sieve, filter the beef stew to remove any small bone particles, add the filtered stew to the paste and give it a stir to mix in well. If it is thick, add in some more water.

Add the onions, beef and salt and mix well.

Put on fire and cook. After about 40 minutes, it should be ready.


Serve hot.

This mouth watering delicacy has been one of Uganda's biggest innovations when it comes to food.The person behind this amazing snack is truly a genius.

The Rolex is a popular street food that has gained global popularity. CNN's African Startup featured it as a must-eat African delicacy in 2016.

Vegetables, eggs and chapati is the perfect combination for a yummy breakfast, or snack. It is pretty easy to make and the ingredients are basic. The Rolex variations are many, based on the type of egg and vegetables used. This variation is my favorite, but feel free to tweak it to your liking.

What kind of chapati do i need?

 Use either freshly made or left over chapati from the night before (check out my chapati recipe).

What kind of vegetables are best for a Rolex?

 You can enjoy a Rolex with tomatoes, cabbage, or any other fresh vegetables. Also, depending on preference, you can mix and fry these with the egg, or have them fresh within the chapati wrap.

If you are the experimental kind, throw in some cooked meat or sausages in the egg, and you will surely have a party.

TIME
Prep: 2 Mins
Cooking: 3 Mins
Total Time: 5 Mins


INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1/4 onion
1/4 green bell pepper
1 tomato
A pinch of salt
Cooking oil
1 ready chapati


INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the onion and bell pepper into small cubes, and the tomato into globes (circular pieces).

In a small dish, whisk the eggs together with the onions, bell pepper and salt.

On medium heat, add little oil to a skillet/frying pan and fry the egg mixture to your desired perfection.

Scoop the ready egg off the skillet and place it on top of the chapati.

Arrange the cut tomatoes on one side of the egg, roll the chapati and serve warm.




I absolutely love Groundnut (Gnut) sauce. It is something to do with its rich thickness, the aroma and great taste. Then i later discovered it is a legume (i do not quite remember my science teacher telling me that in school), but well i love it!

Gnut sauce is enjoyed all over Uganda and its preparation varies widely depending on individual preference and time availability.

One of my favorites is Gnuts steamed in a box. Yep! you got that right. A box is an ancient cooking tool invented during the industrial development era by our kinsmen, to aid steaming of sauces and foods. It is basically an aluminium sauce pan with a tightly fitting cover to keep the steam from escaping.

Which type of Gnuts should i use?
There is a variety of pounded Gnuts on the market, but the main variation is, those that are roasted and those that are not. The roasted Gnuts could have simsim or silver fish mixed in. Those that are not roasted vary based on texture created by the pounding.

Have fun while you experiment with the variety on the local market, until you find your preference.

TIME
Prep: 20 Mins
Cooking: 4 Hrs
Total Time: 4 Hrs & 20 Mins

INGREDIENTS & TOOLS
 500gms pounded Gnuts
1 onion
1 tb salt
1200ml water
2 banana leaves
Banana leaf stems 
Aluminium box
Medium size saucepan
Water for steaming


INSTRUCTIONS
Chop the onion into small cubes.

Put Gnuts into the aluminium box and pour in water, little at time and use a spoon or ladle to stir until you get a smooth paste without lumps.

To the paste, add salt and the chopped onions, stir and cover.

In the sauce pan, create a base using banana stems, and pour in water quarter way. Cut a piece off one banana leaf and place it on top of the base.

Place the aluminium box right in the middle, fold the remaining banana leaves and tack them in neatly on top of the aluminium box. This helps to keep the steam from escaping.

Put on fire and steam for about 4 hours. Do an occasional water check so that it does not burn.

Serve hot.







My earliest memory of Matooke is from my granny's home, everyone sited under the Jack fruit tree, each with a portion of Matooke in front of them, ready to be consumed with beef.

Then i started noticing that my kinswomen (my Baganda sisters and moms) would refer to Matooke as food, and anything else as an addition, something that to this day makes me collapse with laughter.
I then learnt that they were not being mean or anything of the sort, it was their way of conveying the message that Matooke is THE food for Baganda.

Matooke is widely grown in Central and Western Uganda, and as such the beautiful green plants are a welcoming sight in most rural and urban homes in these two regions.

With its variation in preparation, this recipe is for Matooke prepared with banana leaves and banana fibres. The process shared here is for a small number of people, otherwise the banana leaves and fibres can be more than what is indicated.

Where do i get the leaves, stems and fibres for use?

The banana leaves, stems and fibres used are all obtained from the Matooke plant. (Watch our video on how to prepare these for use)

These are also available in the local market at a relatively low cost.

For purposes of getting the process right, i strongly advise that you watch the video.


TIME
Prep: 30 Mins
Cooking: 2 Hrs & 30 Mins
Total Time: 3 Hrs


INGREDIENTS & TOOLS
Peeled Matooke
4-5 banana leaves
2 banana fibres
Banana leaf stems 
Sauce pan
Basket
Water


INSTRUCTIONS
Get the basket and arrange the banana fibres in a cross format. Spread one banana leaf folded into half over the fibres and put the peeled Matooke in the centre of the leaf, creating a pile.

Get the second banana leaf and cut it into small pieces. Spread one of the pieces and place it on top of the Matooke, in the direction of the banana leaf division. Get 4 other pieces and add them on top of the first one, two on every side, then finish it up with the last piece, spread on top of the 4.

Get the banana leaf on which you placed the Matooke and fold the smaller side, followed by the larger side and tie its fibre in a loose knot. Put together the two other sides of the bundle, pull its fibre to connect with the other fibre tied in a loose knot. Secure the fibres together in a knot and cut off any extras so that the bundle is neat!

In a medium sized saucepan, create a base using the banana leaf stems (Mizingonyo) and pour in water quarter way. Fold a banana leaf and place it on top of the base, then place the Matooke bundle from step 3, on top. 

Get two more banana leaves, fold them together and tack them in neatly on top of the Matooke bundle. This helps to keep the steam from escaping. 

Put on fire and steam for about 2 hours. Do an occasional water check so that the food does not burn.

After the 2 hours, remove the Matooke and press it, in the basket using one of the banana leaves. Put it back into the saucepan and back on fire. Serve after about 30 minutes.