Ugali (White Corn Swallow)

By Yewande Komolafe

Updated June 29, 2026

  • Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
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25 min
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Across the African continent and its diaspora, a swallow is a starch that often begins as a grain, tuber or root that’s steamed, then crushed and pounded into an elastic dough. This process renders the starch pliable enough to mold and use for scooping broth or sauce from bowl to mouth. One entry in this category, ugali, is an East African swallow made from milled white maize flour (also called mahindi flour) that goes by other names, such as posho, nsima and pap. Its preparation can be region-specific, with water, broth or milk all used as primary liquids, and butter, sometimes added to enrich the cooked starch. Like any swallow made from a fine milled flour, ugali is prone to forming lumpy pockets, if the ingredients are not evenly incorporated. To avoid this, a slurry is developed off the heat in the pot as the first step in this recipe. Ugali, similar to most swallows, is best served hot alongside vegetable soups, such as light soup with mushrooms, cagaar (spinach stew), collards (Liberian stewed greens) or grilled beef kebabs.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 4 ¼ cups water, divided

  • 1 ½ cups/224 grams white maize meal (mahindi flour), such as Jogoo brand, or white masarepa (see Tip)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

10 grams carbs; 48 calories; 1 gram fat; 1 gram fiber; 18 milligrams sodium; 2 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium pot, stir together 3 cups water and the maize meal. As you stir, the slurry will become a thick dough. Lift the dough and add the remaining 1 cup water along the bottom of the pot.

  2. Step 2

    Set the pot over medium heat, partly cover and cook until steam rises from the sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t leave the pot unattended as the liquid can bubble out quickly.

    1. Step 3

      Uncover and remove the pot from the heat. With a wooden spoon, break up the thickened dough, and stir, working in any liquid, until the dough is smooth, about 2 minutes. 

    1. Step 4

      Return to heat, and use the wooden spoon to fold the dough over itself and against the side of the pot until it’s elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Steam should rise from the surface, and the dough should stiffen and pull away from the pot. (A thin film of starch will form on the bottom and sides of the pot, and that's OK.)

    1. Step 5

      Move the dough to one side of the pot and hold the pot by its handle on its side over the heat. Fold the dough over itself several times to knead until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. This repetitive process is an arm workout, but the dough should be soft and pliable at this point.

    1. Step 6

      Increase heat to medium-high and return the pot to its original position.Spread the dough along the bottom of the pan. Cover and heat through, about 2 minutes. Uncover and repeat the folding until a smooth, sticky dough forms, 5 to 6 minutes. It should be soft, not runny, and drop off a wet spoon with gentle plop. If dough feels too firm, add 1 tablespoon and up to ¼ cup more water. Remove from heat, cover and let cool for at least 5 minutes. The dough will continue to stiffen, becoming solid over time. It can be served immediately, hot or warm, or stored once completely cold, in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

    1. Step 7

      To serve, dip a spoon into a bowl filled with warm water and scoop the ugali by pressing it against the side of the pot while shaping the dough into a smooth ball. Transfer the ball while still warm to an individual shallow serving bowl. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Serve ugali with light soup with mushrooms, cagaar (spinach stew) or collards (Liberian stewed greens) or grilled beef kebab.

Tip

  • White masarepa from Goya is an adequate substitute for maize meal. Cornmeal or cornflour are not. Milled white maize flour (called mahindi flour) can be found as a packaged product sold under different brand names, including Jogoo (a popular brand from Kenya), Nasfam or White Star. Often stored at room temperature, maize meal is available at African, Caribbean and some international grocery stores.

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Comments

Malawi RPCV

It’s great to see this getting some attention, but, at least in Malawi, the corn flour variation is nsima, not nsmia. —Peace Corps Malawi Alum

person

So happy to see this here! Looking forward to a recipe for sukuma wiki to go with it (hint hint)!

Justine

I worked for USAID in Kenya one summer when I was in graduate school. I was a 24-year-old American woman. The young Kenyan secretaries very kindly befriended me and they were amazed that I had never made ugali. “How will you get a husband?!” one of them asked.

Justine

I worked for USAID in Kenya one summer when I was in graduate school. I was a 24-year-old American woman. The young Kenyan secretaries very kindly befriended me and they were amazed that I had never made ugali. “How will you get a husband?!” one of them asked.

Rich

To my surprise, I found masa arepa in the Mexican section at the local Aldi market.

Amy

So cool to see this recipe in the NYT!

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