Vegan
Gluten freeUji
Finger millet porridge
Uji wa wimbi: Kenyan finger millet porridge, plain or fermented
Mugs of brown uji are handed out at breakfast in Kenyan homes and schools, sold from steaming flasks at bus stages, and given to children and nursing mothers for strength. Finger millet flour (wimbi) makes a thin, drinkable porridge with a malty, slightly chocolatey taste; it is sweetened with sugar and soured with lemon, or left overnight to ferment for a deeper tang. Look for finger millet flour at African grocers or as ragi flour in Indian shops, and never tip it straight into boiling water, the mistake that gives lumps every time; always make a cold slurry first. Drink it hot in a mug, with mandazi or roasted groundnuts on the side. Chef's tip: for fermented uji, mix the slurry the night before and leave it covered on the counter; by morning it smells gently sour and needs only half the lemon.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 110 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ⅞ oz finger millet (wimbi) flour
- 1 cup cold water
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 3 tbsp sugarto taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juiceto taste
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 2 ⅞ oz finger millet (wimbi) flour with 1 cup cold water in a jug until completely smooth, with no dry lumps.
Step 2: Fermented option: cover the jug with a cloth and leave it at room temperature for 12–24 hours, until the slurry smells pleasantly sour and shows a few bubbles. Stir before using. If it smells rotten or shows mould, throw it away.
Step 3: Bring 3 ¼ cups water to the boil in a pot over a medium-high heat.
Step 4: Stir the slurry again, then pour it into the boiling water in a thin stream, whisking constantly.
Step 5: Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often so it doesn't catch, until the porridge thickens to a smooth, drinkable cream that coats the back of a spoon and no longer tastes floury.
10 minStep 6: Off the heat, stir in 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice, tasting as you go; fermented uji needs less lemon. Thin with a little hot water if you like it runnier.
1 minStep 7: Pour into mugs and drink hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does uji take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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