Category: Ugandan Food

Nile Perch Burgers with Sliced Jack Cheese + Video

~ Sophie ~ 11 Comments

Juicy Nile Perch Burgers with sliced Jack cheese, pickled onions and herbed yoghurt.

Two Nile perch recipes in one month? Well, it is because I cannot get over  the fleshy and goodness of the fish. There is comfort food and then there is  ‘crave-food’ (I just made that up). Although these foods can be interchangeable, I personally think burgers fall in the ‘crave-food category.  In the ideal world, burgers would be served for every meal. Sadly that does not happen . That  is why this once in a while burger is the BURGER that you should absolutely try out. With my friends over at Paramount Dairies, I bring you this juicy fully flavored Nile perch burger with Sliced Jack Cheese which adds a rich savory cheesy taste to the whole combo. To fully comprehend the flavors that are at work here, I will explain each layer one by one.

First there are these patties that have fleshy Nile perch as the foundation, a mix of grated vegetables and spices, and some plain yoghurt to enhance the flavor and keep them moist.

Onions pickled in vinegar add a sour sweet taste and crunchy feel to the burger and some red juicy tomatoes.

Then there is the herbed yoghurt that has smokey coriander and thyme. Best part is you can flavor it anyway you want. I find coriander to go well with fish.

Buttered whole wheat buns that a toasted to add a crunch to the burger. And of course the cheese. Jack cheese is awesome because not only is it delicious (you can eat it as is) but it melts well and it is already pre-sliced which is so convenient.

Observations:

  1. Use plain yoghurt as it is easy to flavor however you want
  2. To pickle the onions, you will need to thinly slice then and soak them in vinegar for about 20-30 minute or until they turn a bright purple color and are softened through.
  3. To make herbed yoghurt,  thinly chop all the herbs and add them to  the yoghurt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Since the plain yoghurt is a bit sour, salt it generously to reduce the sourness.
  4. To get the Nile perch fillet, boil fresh Nile perch with garlic and ginger(for flavor) for about 10 minutes or until the flesh is soft to the touch.

Watch the video for a tutorial on how to make the Nile perch patties and how to assemble the burger.

What you will need:

Burger

Whole wheat buns

Butter/Margarine

Nile Perch fillet

Sliced Jack cheese

Fully ripe and juicy tomatoes

Pickled Onions

Herbed yoghurt

Nile Perch Patties

2 C. Boiled Nile perch fillet

½ C. Grated Carrot

1Tsp. Grated Ginger

1Tsp. Garlic, finely chopped/Garlic powder

¼ C. Green pepper, finely chopped

2 Large Eggs

2 Tbsp. Plain yoghurt

¼ Tsp Black pepper, ground

¼ C. Wheat flour

¼ C Dehydrated Soy meat, ground/Breadcrumbs

Salt to taste

Cooking oil

Method

Nile Perch Patties

In a bowl, combine all ingredinets starting form the first to the last while mixing well.  Once all the ingredients are incoporated, Uusing your hands, for the patties according to your desired thicknes and the size of the buns. Place on a plastic surface. This prevents them from sticking. Cling film will work well.  Heat a not stick pan and a dd alittle oil. Place the patties in the pan and let them cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Once they have turned golden brown, Remove from fire. Repeat the same till the mixture is done. Makes  about 8 patties.

Assembling

Cut the buns into two horizontally. Spread a generous amount of butter/margarine. Toast the buns till moist inside and crispy on the sides. Spread the herbed yoghurt on the bottom part of the bun. Next place the tomatoes, the Nile perch patties, the pickled onions and finally top with sliced jack. Top with the other piece of the bun(the top part should be hot enough to melt the cheese a little).  Serve with your favorite drink.

🙂

Sophie

This post is made possible by Paramount Dairies. You can find Paramount Sliced Jack and other cheese products in major supermarkets in Kampala.

Colorful Tender Pumpkin Stir-fry

~ Sophie ~ 6 Comments

This is what happens when you end up harvesting a young pumpkin.  In life there are times when we totally do insane things which in turn end up being masterpieces. I keep saying I have had my fair share of  failed recipes in the kitchen. But see, the thing with failure is that it pushes—forces even— you to keep trying till you get a better outcome.  I believe failure is necessary for success.  But words are easier said than done.  Having to create  and develop recipes in the past couple of years has taught me to take failure as a part of the natural human process because without failure, we really would not know what success is. Now this pumpkin stir fry first fell into my category of failed recipes but over time with constant trying and recreation, it is what it is now.  Because now I realize, similar to this amazing stir fry, harvesting a baby tender pumpkin is not a waste after all.

What you will need:

1 C. Young tender pumpkin, thinly sliced

1 C. Carrots, julienned

1/2 C. Green pepper, julienned

1/2 C. Green beans, julienned

1 Large onion, thinly sliced

2 Garlic cloves finely chopped

1/2 Tsp. Ginger, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Dark Soy sauce diluted with 2 Tbsp. water

Black pepper

A pinch of sugar

Salt

Oil

Method

 

Place a pan on high heat. Add oil. Add the pinch of sugar and let it melt and turn slightly brown(but not burnt).  Add garlic and ginger. Let it brown a little and then add the pumpkin. Keep stirring. After 3 minutes, add the green beans and keep stirring. Add the onions and carrots. Next add the green pepper. Keep stirring so they don’t burn since the heat is high.  Pour in the soy sauce little by little while continuing to stir till the vegetables are slightly tender but still with a bite.  Sprinkle salt and pepper and give one last stir before removing from fire. Serve hot.

Elections are tomorrow and I hope and pray you all have a smooth voting session.

 

🙂

Sophie

Nile Perch Groundnut Stew + Featuring On CNN African Voices

~ Sophie ~ 11 Comments

Scorching sun, dusty roads and paths, bags heavy with produce, stained faux marble counter tops, the struggle of cutting vegetables with a filleting knife, droopy eyes,  a million plus one thoughts in my head,  and the looming massive camera and lighting equipment. This was the situation we had when this stew was made. If you haven’t already guessed, this is the stew that I cooked in the CNN African Voices feature. It was hard for me to keep this as a secret from you guys because I wanted to see how you’d react when taken by surprise! Did I do well? I was overwhelmed by the response I got from all over the world. It truly is a humbling experience. All this would not have been possible without you reading this little corner. I am so grateful for all of you and hope you stay a little longer. And while you do, I hope you benefit from it too. Since I have calmed down from hyperventilating (A.K.A excitement and anxiety), I can now share this simple and easy to pull off stew.

When ever I am travelling back  and forth from the city, there are two specific places where we pass where fish is being sold. And by fish I don’t mean your typical palm-sized tilapia that costs 3000 to 4000 shillings (Now that I think about it, palms do vary in size, Oh well…), I mean Nile perch. Some days there will be a huge crowd waiting to buy the famed Nile perch (Mputa) because the size can vary from a palm’s length to larger than life. Yes they are that big. I remember once passing by in a taxi and straining my neck because the size of the perch was unbelievably large. The great thing is that right next to the fish mongers, there will be street cooks cooking up a storm of aromatic food but mostly fish (so just imagine passing by on an empty stomach). Because where fresh fish that good being sold, fried fish will be found too and boy is it good. Then there are days when the perch is scarce, so scarce that the only one available is cut into pieces and then each piece is sold at a price. Such are the seasons of Nile perch. Nevertheless, Nile perch is good (for a lack of a better word really!) and every Ugandan will tell you so. Because the fish is so fleshy and aromatic, we have a stew we pride ourselves in making. This stew consists of a thick groundnut paste, Nile perch, some vegetables and seasoning.

RECIPE COMING SOON

 

🙂

Sophie