Around the World in Eighty Bites - Uganda

As my loyal readers know, I keep track of the countries around the world that read this blog. While it’s fun to watch my numbers increase, the main reason I track my international readership is because I want to try as many different cuisines as possible, and knowing that I’m reaching real people across the globe keeps me inspired to create many new variations of traditional ethnic and national recipes. I also like being able to share the recipes with people who, like me, travel vicariously through their taste buds.
 

from nationsonline.org

The 97th country to hop on the www.baconbutterbooze.com bandwagon was Uganda. Like many countries that have been prone to invasion, Ugandan food features mainly native ingredients while reflecting the influences of invading countries’ cuisines. European, Arab, and Indian traders and explorers brought with them ingredients that have been incorporated into traditional Ugandan cuisine, but traditional dishes rely on native staples such as bananas, yams, and smoked or dried fish.

Cooking Ugandan food was a bit intimidating to me, because with the exceptions of Morocco and Ethiopia, most African nations’ cuisines haven’t become trendy yet, and I feared that finding enough information about the cuisine and its ingredients and cooking techniques would be difficult. However, when I’m intimidated by a kitchen project, I always accept the challenge and step up to the plate, so with a little bit of web research and a basket of fresh ingredients, I was ready to cook. After browsing through about a dozen Ugandan recipes, I selected Oluwombo. Oluwombo is a traditional Ugandan dish featuring meat and smoked fish cooked with tomatoes, peanuts, and mushrooms. I chose this dish because it was so different from the dishes I’ve cooked in the past.

While researching, I found several variations of the meat used in the dish - some used beef, some used chicken, and pork and goat were also featured in a few recipes. The other ingredients had no significant variation from recipe to recipe. Oluwombo is traditionally steamed in banana leaves for almost two hours, but to save time, I’ve varied the cooking method to create a stew that captures the flavors, but requires less preparation and cooking time. My first reaction? “How did I live without this for 30 years?”

Try this when you’re seeking something different from your typical beef stew!


Oluwombo-Inspired Stew

1 T. coconut oil
12 oz. sirloin, cut into ½” cubes
1 small onion, minced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 c. peanuts, crushed
3 oz. Tomato paste
1 cup beef stock or bouillon
4 oz. Fresh button mushrooms, finely chopped
2 chipotles in adobo, minced, plus 2 T. adobo sauce
½ t. toasted cumin seeds, ground
¼ t. ginger
¼ t. turmeric
6 oz. Smoked whitefish, skin and bones removed and flaked

4 baked plantains (instructions below), sliced
Crushed peanuts, to garnish

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 T. of the coconut oil over medium-high heat until it has melted. Add the sirloin and cook for several minutes until the meat has browned. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside, and if a lot of liquid and fat has been released from the meat, drain it. Add more coconut oil if necessary, then add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

Add all the remaining ingredients and the browned sirloin. Stir, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, serve over slices of baked plantain and garnish with crushed peanuts.

Serves four.  Nutrition facts per serving: 790 calories, 68g carbohydrates, 35g fat, 56 g protein


Baked Plantains

4 plantains

Start with plantains that are in their medium stage of ripeness - beginning to blacken, but with a fair amount of yellow still showing. Preheat the oven to 425, and in the meantime, slice the ends off of each plantain, then halve lengthwise. Place the plantains skin side down on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and once the plantain halves are cool enough to touch, peel the skins off and slice the plantain halves into half-inch chunks.

Serves four.  Nutrition facts per serving: 180 calories, 48g carbohydrates, 0.3g fat, 1.2g protein