Skip to main content

Uganda: Chicken Luwombo and Bean Stew #CookingAroundtheWorldAdventure


May is a brutal month when I am constantly over-scheduled with the boys' schools and work. Needless to say, we haven't checked off one country per week as planned for our Cooking Around the World Adventure. But we can cross Uganda off our list! Slow and steady...we'll finish this project. Eventually.

from worldatlas.com

About Uganda...
Uganda is a landlocked country that lies just above the Equator in East Africa. Its landscape envelopes the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains as well as the immense Lake Victoria. D read that its wildlife includes chimpanzees, hippos, as well as rare birds. Just over 35 million people inhabit the country and the official languages are English and Swahili. 


On Our Plates...
I initially planned to make three dishes, but I was running late and didn't have time to stop for plantains. So, I only managed to serve two dishes from Uganda: Chicken Luwombo and a Bean Stew. Luwombo is a ubiquitous dish that is found at most traditional Ugandan ceremonies and, when it comes to Luwombo, the variations are practically limitless. All of the ingredients are simply combined and allowed to marinate in the banana leaves as they bake.


Chicken Luwombo

Ingredients serves 4, makes 8 packets
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (cubed)
  • 1 large onion, peeled and cubed
  • 1 T butter
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/4 C tomato sauce
  • 1/4 C peanut butter
  • 1 C chicken stock
  • 1/4 t ground coriander
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • also needed: banana leaves and 100% cotton twine


Procedure
Place banana leaves and twine cut to 18" length on a cutting board. Set aside.

Melt butter in the olive oil and add in the onions. Cook until they are softened and beginning to turn translucent. Stir in the chicken and cook until no more pink remains. Add in the tomato sauce, peanut butter, and stock. Bring to a boil. Stir in the spices and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is thickened.

Place 1/3 C filling in the center of the banana leaf. Fold the edges of the banana leaf over the stuffing and roll the banana leaf to form a packet. Tie the packets with the twine.


Place the packets in a large pot, suspended over water. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot tightly and steam for 60 minutes. Each diner opens the banana leaf of his or her own before eating.


Serve the Luwombo hot with rice, matooke or any other side of your choice. We served it with a bean  stew and steamed brown rice.

Bean Stew

Ingredients
  • 2 C cooked beans (I used white beans)
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/2 C tomato sauce
  • 1/2 C stock (I used chicken stock)
  • 1/4 C fresh herbs, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Heat oil in pan, then add the onions. Cook until the onions are softened and beginning to turn translucent. Pour in tomato sauce and stock. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Add in beans and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, adding more stock if it's too dry. Before serving, season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in herbs.


Serve with rice.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce

Aloo Tiki {Pakistan}

To start off our Pakistani culinary adventure, I started us off with aloo tiki - potato cutlets. I'm always game for tasty street food. I found a couple of different recipes and incorporated those together for this version. Ingredients 6-8 small red potatoes, scrubbed 1 T cumin seeds 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1/2 t ground coriander 1 t minced garlic Procedure Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Mash the potatoes. Traditionally they are mashed without their skins. I left the skins on. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds on high heat until the begin to give off an aroma and begin to darken. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to keep them from cooking any more. Blend all of the spices into the mashed potatoes, then shape into small patties. If you wet your hands, the potato mixture won't stick to them. Heat a splash of oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Dip each patty into beaten egg and carefully place in the oil. P

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an