The Ugandan Christmas pudding
Dec 19, 2002
A pudding made solely from local ingredients has been described as excellent by members of the Ugandan Food and drink Association (FDAU)
By Craddock Williams
A pudding made solely from local ingredients has been described as excellent by members of the Ugandan Food and drink Association (FDAU). FDAU meets every Tuesday at Mateos on Parliament Avenue.
Members at a recent meeting agreed that the Ugandan Christmas Pudding had a unique flavour, and was described by many as “subtle and solid.†All the ingredients can be got in Uganda, and cost less than sh5,000.
How to make the Ugandan Pudding
Ingredients:
10 ounces fresh bread crumbs
Nine tablespoons of sugar to be caramelised - see NOTE (1)
Two sugar to sweeten the pudding
10 mixed diced fruit, - mango, pineapple, jackfruit
Three candied orange peel
Two groundnuts, blanched, roasted light brown
Two butter
Two eggs, beaten
Juice of one lemon
Half a teaspoon of salt
Method: Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Caramelise nine ounces of sugar until dark brown, dilute with water to a thick syrup consistency.
Stir the caramelised sugar into the dry ingredients. Stir in the lemon juice, butter and eggs. Turn into a one-pint well-buttered steaming bowl or basin of enamel or ceramic. Tie a cloth over the pudding, or cover with grease-proof paper or foil, and tie with string. Steam for six hours over low heat. Serve hot, or store in a cool place. To serve hot after storing, steam for a further two hours.
(1) NOTE: To caramelise sugar, pour the granulated refined sugar into a skillet or frying pan with a little water. When it starts turning brown, stir with a spoon to ensure none of it burns. When dark brown, dilute with cold water.
(2) NOTE: Traditional Christmas Pudding is served with brandy butter, a mix of unsalted butter, granulated sugar and brandy. Try waragi butter, substituting waragi for the brandy.
(3) NOTE: To make Candied Orange Peel: Trim the peel off an unscarred orange, preferably one grown in Uganda and looking a bit orange or at least yellow. Green peel will do.
Trim the pith off the peel. Cut into half-inch lengths and simmer in caramelised sugar until soft.
*****
Ugandan goose stuffing
Ingredients:
Two tablespoons butter or margarine
One small finely chopped onion
Eight slices dry bread - cubed
One teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Three teaspoons fresh mint — chopped
Two tablespoon parsley - chopped
Four to six tablespoons chicken broth or water
Three tablespoons coconut milk (optional)
A quarter cup fresh coconut — chopped or shredded (optional)
Saute onions in butter or margarine, combine onions with bread, ginger, mint and parsley. Add liquid while mixing ingredients, add salt, pepper, then add optional ingredients. Steam or bake for one hour.
Vreni Kuret (Canada)
Samantha Shann (UK-Yorkshire)
A pudding made solely from local ingredients has been described as excellent by members of the Ugandan Food and drink Association (FDAU). FDAU meets every Tuesday at Mateos on Parliament Avenue.
Members at a recent meeting agreed that the Ugandan Christmas Pudding had a unique flavour, and was described by many as “subtle and solid.†All the ingredients can be got in Uganda, and cost less than sh5,000.
How to make the Ugandan Pudding
Ingredients:
10 ounces fresh bread crumbs
Nine tablespoons of sugar to be caramelised - see NOTE (1)
Two sugar to sweeten the pudding
10 mixed diced fruit, - mango, pineapple, jackfruit
Three candied orange peel
Two groundnuts, blanched, roasted light brown
Two butter
Two eggs, beaten
Juice of one lemon
Half a teaspoon of salt
Method: Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Caramelise nine ounces of sugar until dark brown, dilute with water to a thick syrup consistency.
Stir the caramelised sugar into the dry ingredients. Stir in the lemon juice, butter and eggs. Turn into a one-pint well-buttered steaming bowl or basin of enamel or ceramic. Tie a cloth over the pudding, or cover with grease-proof paper or foil, and tie with string. Steam for six hours over low heat. Serve hot, or store in a cool place. To serve hot after storing, steam for a further two hours.
(1) NOTE: To caramelise sugar, pour the granulated refined sugar into a skillet or frying pan with a little water. When it starts turning brown, stir with a spoon to ensure none of it burns. When dark brown, dilute with cold water.
(2) NOTE: Traditional Christmas Pudding is served with brandy butter, a mix of unsalted butter, granulated sugar and brandy. Try waragi butter, substituting waragi for the brandy.
(3) NOTE: To make Candied Orange Peel: Trim the peel off an unscarred orange, preferably one grown in Uganda and looking a bit orange or at least yellow. Green peel will do.
Trim the pith off the peel. Cut into half-inch lengths and simmer in caramelised sugar until soft.
*****
Ugandan goose stuffing
Ingredients:
Two tablespoons butter or margarine
One small finely chopped onion
Eight slices dry bread - cubed
One teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Three teaspoons fresh mint — chopped
Two tablespoon parsley - chopped
Four to six tablespoons chicken broth or water
Three tablespoons coconut milk (optional)
A quarter cup fresh coconut — chopped or shredded (optional)
Saute onions in butter or margarine, combine onions with bread, ginger, mint and parsley. Add liquid while mixing ingredients, add salt, pepper, then add optional ingredients. Steam or bake for one hour.
Vreni Kuret (Canada)
Samantha Shann (UK-Yorkshire)