Tag: uganda

Sweet Potato Parsley Chapati

~ Sophie ~ 10 Comments

AKIU-chapati1

Have you caught up on the rolex bandwagon? You should because 2016 is the year of the rolex. CNN confirmed it here. In fact it needs a hashtag of its own! I am already dreaming of the many ways I am planning to recreate it aside from this one. But first there is perfecting the chapati recipe which is what I will be talking about today.I am sure you all kitchen enthusiast have made chapati  at least once in your lifetime. I have encountered many versions. and I believe this is what makes chapati very special. There is a standard formula but you will most likely find everyone cooking it based on what they have, their preferences and where they come from. A few weeks ago I was watching a video on chapati making and Miriam stressed very well how East African chapati is fried in oil. In fact there is even deep-fried chapati too! Totally Awesome. So here is a version that I really love that is so filling and very soft because of the sweet potatoes incorporated in. Again this recipe can be adapted to your preferences. I prefer to pan fry  this chapati because this gives it a crisp exterior and a moist soft interior. Also this chapati is more on the sweet side because of the sweet potatoes. They can be eaten on their own, with beans or as a rolex once you add an egg. Make these at the beginning of the week and you will be covered for the whole week.

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What you will need:

3 C. Sweet Potatoes

2 C. Baking flour

½ C. Warm water

¼ C. Parsley, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Oil

Pinch of salt

Oil for frying

Observations:

  1. The type of sweet potato will determine the color  and sweetness of your chapatis
  2. Have extra flour nearby for dusting the workplace and rolling pin
  3. Over kneading the dough will cause the chapatis to get hard.
  4. Roll the chapati according to your desired thickness.

 

Method

Peel the sweet potatoes and boil them till soft and tender. Measure three cups of boiled sweet potatoes and mash them finely. Add flour, salt, parsley and oil. Mix while adding water little by little until a firm dough is formed. Knead the dough for one minute. Set the dough aside for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, divide the dough into 9 equal balls. Dust the working surface and roll out the balls into chapati.  Heat about a teaspoon of oil on medium heat. Add the chapati. Keep flipping every after 5-10 seconds until the chapati becomes fluffy-ish and has turned slightly golden brown. Remove from fire. Repeat the process till all the nine balls are done. Makes 9 Chapatis. Serve with your favourite sauce, stew or just fry an egg and have a homemade rolex on the go.

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🙂

Sophie

 

 

Gourmand World Cookbook Win, A Survey and Instagram

~ Sophie ~ 4 Comments

So, I have some exciting news for you. But first, how was your weekend? Anything exciting that you did? ( leave a comment below!) Mine was quite low-key because weekdays can be hectic. OK. Now that you have left a comment below telling me about your weekend, let’s talk about the exciting news.

News One

seasonalcookingcover

Do you remember Seasonal Cooking e-cookbook (->) that was published almost a year ago?  I wrote it on a whim because I wanted you lovely friends and readers to have a great time here and in your kitchens. . It has been an exciting journey ever since that day with over 250 downloads! I am grateful. The good news is that the e-book participated in the Gourmand World Cookbook  Awards competition as an entrant from Uganda. It won from the country. I was surprised because, like I said, it was created on a whim. Furthermore, the book made it to the top 2 cookbooks from Africa! Exciting is an understatement. Click here to -> see the short list.  This award is dedicated to you all awesome readers who take time to come here week by week to read these words, get recipes to try and get inspired.

News Two

survey

Because we are all in a happy moment right now, I wanted us to get to know each other more. I thought it would be a great idea to create this survey that will help me provide better content for you my friends and improve your experience here on the blog. So I am asking you to kindly spare 5 minutes to answer this short survey. Also share it with anyone who reads the blog. Click image to answer survey

News Three

AKIU ig

We are officially on instagram! It took almost forever to make the leap but now I can say that AKIU’s instagram account is up and running. Head over there and follow for updates, sneak peeks and behind the blog awesomeness. Click on image to visit the account.

To summarize it all:

  1. The Seasonal Cooking e-book won an international award here 
  2. There is a small and simple survey for you to answer as you anticipate great things to come *wink* here.
  3. And lastly, follow AKIU on instagram for updates, sneak peeks and behind the blog awesomeness.

Have a great week.

🙂

Sophie

 

PS: If you haven’t got a copy of Seasonal Cooking for yourself, please do so now as I will be taking it down at the end of the month-May 31.

How to Make A Ugandan Eggroll

~ Sophie ~ 9 Comments

eggrolls-AKIU

The first time I had an egg roll was about 12 years ago! Hmm…how time flies. I remember wondering how is this magical food was made. It was a mystery to my little self and still was till about a few months ago. There is a thing about memories associated with food. Somehow you will always remember the taste and the emotions that food made you feel even after years. So in my quest to find out how the egg roll is made, I discovered a lot of things.  Like how an egg roll can be as big as you want it to be, great for breakfast and can be served for lunch and dinner too. I am excited to share with you this basic recipe of the egg roll. Hint: It isn’t as hard as you think! Also now that the basics are down, I cant wait to get extremely creative with it. Arent you?

 

What you will need:

5 medium potatoes, peeled and washed

5 Large eggs

1 C. Bread crumbs

1 Tsp. Curry powder

1 Tbsp.  Butter/Margarine

Salt

Oil for frying

 

Method

Cut the potatoes in half and put them in a pan with enough water. Let the potatoes boil till soft and falling apart. Remove from fire and drain the potatoes then set aside to cool.  Boil 3 eggs (I prefer my eggs fully boiled till the yolk is hard. If you like runny eggs, here is a chart that can help you out.). After the eggs are boiled, remove from fire and let them cool down in cold water.  In a bowl, beat the remaining two eggs with a pinch of salt till frothy. Set aside. In another bowl, mash the now slightly cool potatoes. Add the butter, salt and curry and keep mixing till there are no lumps visible. Peel the eggs. Using your hands, gently add the mashed potatoes onto the egg slowly building your egg roll till it is a palm sized ball. Make sure the ball is firm. Gently roll the ball in the whisked egg and then in the breadcrumbs, back into the egg and thoroughly in the bread crumbs.  Repeat the process till you have all the rolls ready to fry. Deep-fry the rolls till golden brown. Serve with mayonnaise or ketchup and a side of kachumbari or coleslaw.

 

PS: if you don’t have bread crumbs at hand (which is always the case with me!), you can substitute them for finely crushed dehydrated soya meat-you know, the packaged kind. It will absorb the excess liquid and make your rolls crispy.

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Have a great week.

🙂

Sophie