Cornmeal Fufu (Ugali)

August 11: National Fufu Day

We served as marriage preparation sponsors for a Nigerian couple at our church during the pandemic. They had to delay and reschedule their Catholic wedding and massively scale down the celebration. But the intimate ceremony (strictly a 25-people limit, according to CDC social gathering guidelines at the time) followed by an at-home reception (in the bride’s family mansion!) was a much more personalized and lovely experience, focusing on the couple more than a traditionally and typically extravagant event itself.

We witnessed the bride’s father, who is revered like a chief in the ex-pat Nigerian community, preside over the kola nut ceremony to welcome everyone to his family’s home and the marriage celebration. Highlander got to taste the bitter nut while Islander was offered a Coca-cola instead of the kola (see Notes). 

After prayers, speeches and libations/toasts, we were already hungry after a long day. The colorfully-clad ladies had prepared a delicious buffet of favorite and festive foods. We were not familiar with the menu items but we enthusiastically enjoyed trying Nigerian food. 

The ladies were also so gracious to pack us leftovers so we could enjoy them the following day. In our takeaway containers, we found a spongy-white dough wrapped in plastic. Fufu is a starchy staple found not just in Nigerian cuisine but all over Africa and the Caribbean. It is made with ingredients commonly found in the area (yams, cassava, plantains and cornmeal). It is a little bland but fufu is a great complement to the flavorful stews and soups.

For National Fufu Day, which is a relatively new holiday, we tried a cornmeal fufu recipe. It goes well with the West African shrimp in peanut sauce stew recipe. Rie nke oma.

Recipe
(Adapted from African Bites)

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups white fine cornmeal
  • Vegetable oil

Directions

In a large, heavy saucepan, boil the water. Add salt. Remove one cup of the water and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium. Gradually stir in the cornmeal a little at a time, mixing until well blended. Reduce the heat to low. Mash any lumps and keep mixing until smooth, adding a little of the reserved water at a time. 

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, making sure that the bottom of the pan does not burn. Remove from heat. Stir the mixture. Grease a small bowl with a little oil. Scoop out about ¾ – 1 cup of the mixture and place it in the greased bowl. Swirl the bowl around until it forms a smooth round or oblong shape. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Transfer to a serving platter. Or package them in plastic wrap for individual servings when needed.

Notes

  • Fufu is known as ugali in east and central Africa. Learn more about the different types of fufu from OkayAfrica.com’s “Quick Guide to Fufu.” 
  • Fufu is fungee in Antigua. See the recipe we made with bits of okra here.
  • Read more about the cultural significance of kola nuts of the Nigerian Igbos from the Face2Face Africa website. 
  • Although we were offered utensils, we ate with our hands at the Nigerian house reception. We assured our hosts we were comfortable doing so, as we had participated in a similar Filipino “boodle fight” (kamayan).