1
Boil water
Bring water and salt to a strong boil in a heavy pot.
Boil water
10:00
Kenya | Main dish
Ugali na Sukuma Wiki
Kenyan firm maize ugali served with sukuma wiki, collard greens quickly cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, and oil.
Country
Kenya
Region
East Africa
Time
45 min
Serves
4
Level
easy
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Ugali gives the plate its strength; sukuma wiki gives it life. Stir the ugali hard, then cook the greens quickly so they stay fresh.
What the dish tastes like
Kenyan firm maize ugali served with sukuma wiki, collard greens quickly cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, and oil.
When to cook it
Best for Everyday meals, with a easy cooking level and about 45 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
Nyama choma, beef stew, beans, or kachumbari
Follow the collection
Vegetarian Africa is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. Vegetarian Africa
Regional lane
Kenya national table. A verified Kenya dish in the AfroKitchen archive.
Chef watch-outs
- Overcooking the greens until the color and texture collapse.
- Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
- Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
How you know it is ready
- Greens should be cooked through but still look alive and glossy.
- The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
- Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos
See the dish before you cook
Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.
Chef board
Build the table around Ugali na Sukuma Wiki
Nyama choma, beef stew, beans, or kachumbari
Best route from here
Kenya national table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
6 steps
45 min total
easy
2
Cook ugali
Add maize flour gradually while stirring hard. Keep folding and pressing until the ugali is firm and pulls from the sides.
Cook ugali
15:00
3
Shape ugali
Turn onto a wet plate and shape into a dome with a wet spoon. Cover to keep warm.
4
Start greens
Heat oil and cook onion until soft. Add garlic if using, then tomatoes, and cook until they break down.
Cook base
07:00
5
Cook sukuma
Add sliced greens and chile if using. Toss until coated, then cover briefly until wilted but still bright.
Wilt greens
07:00
6
Serve
Season the greens and serve hot beside the ugali.
Some homes keep sukuma wiki very plain with onion and salt; others add tomato, garlic, chile, or a little stock.