Uji wa Mahindi (Kenyan Cornmeal Porridge)

Name: Uji wa Mahindi (Kenyan Cornmeal Porridge)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Kenyan
Ingredients: 1 cup fine maize flour (cornmeal); 4 cup water; 0.25 tsp fine salt; 2 tbsp granulated sugar; 1 cup milk; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 piece banana or mango; 2 tbsp honey or syrup

A smooth, comforting Kenyan breakfast porridge made from fine maize flour (cornmeal). It’s quick, budget-friendly, and easy to adapt — serve thick with fruit or thinner as a sipping uji.

20 min

start to finish

5 min

hands on

Easy

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup fine maize flour (cornmeal)white or yellow; sift if very coarse
4 cup waterdivided: see steps
¼ tsp fine salt
2 tbsp granulated sugaradjust or omit(optional)

Optional additions

1 cup milkwhole milk or plant milk (soy, oat, coconut) — leave out to keep dairy-free(optional)
1 tbsp unsalted butter(optional)
½ tsp ground cinnamon(optional)

To serve (optional)

1 piece banana or mangosliced(optional)
2 tbsp honey or syrup(optional)

Roughly, per serving

170 kcal4g protein32g carbs3g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Measure out the maize flour. In a small bowl, whisk the cornmeal with 1 cup cold water until completely smooth and lump-free to make a slurry.
Bring the remaining 3 cups water and the salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium. Slowly pour the cornmeal slurry into the boiling water in a steady stream while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring or whisking frequently, until the porridge thickens and the raw corn taste cooks out. The uji should be smooth and creamy.
If using sugar or milk, stir them in now. Simmer 1–2 minutes more so the sugar dissolves and the milk heats through (omit this step if you kept the recipe water-only).
Remove from heat and stir in butter and cinnamon if using.
Let the porridge sit 1–2 minutes to settle, then spoon into bowls and serve with sliced fruit and a drizzle of honey if you like.

Worth knowing

For a thinner, drinkable uji (common in some regions), add 1/2–1 cup additional water or milk at the end and whisk until smooth.
Substitute millet or sorghum flour for maize flour for a nuttier-flavored uji; cooking time is similar but texture may vary.
To avoid scorching, use a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir frequently while simmering.
Leftovers keep 3–4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water or milk to loosen the porridge.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

VegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeBudgetQuickKid friendly

More Kenyan cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Kenyan cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegetarian and gluten-free and dairy-free as listed.