What is Sukuma Wiki & Ugali?

Collard greens braised with tomatoes and onion beside firm maize ugali — Kenya’s daily bread and greens.

Where does Sukuma Wiki & Ugali come from?

Sukuma Wiki & Ugali is a Kenyan dish from Nairobi, Kenya.

Can Sukuma Wiki & Ugali be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Sukuma Wiki & Ugali recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Sukuma Wiki & Ugali take to make?

About 40 minutes total (10 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking), serving 4.

Recipe

Name: Sukuma Wiki & Ugali
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Kenyan
Ingredients: 2 big bunches collard greens (sukuma), ribboned; 2 cups white maize flour (for ugali); 3 tomatoes, chopped; 1 red onion, sliced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp mild curry powder or royco-style seasoning; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 1/2 lemon

Africa → 🇰🇪 Kenya → Nairobi

Sukuma Wiki & Ugali

Kenyan · easy · serves 4

prep 10 min · cook 30 min

~360 cal · 8g protein · 57g carbs · 11g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Braised collard greens with tomato beside a mound of white ugali

🇰🇪 Nairobi

Sukuma wiki is Swahili for "stretch the week" — the greens that carry a household between paydays, and no one is ashamed of that; it’s on every Nairobi table from student flats to statehouse kitchens. Ugali, the firm maize mound beside it, is what your right hand shapes into a scoop.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 4 —

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2 big bunches collard greens (sukuma), ribboned

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2 cups white maize flour (for ugali)

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3 tomatoes, chopped

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1 red onion, sliced

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2 cloves garlic, minced

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1 tsp mild curry powder or royco-style seasoning

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3 tbsp neutral oil

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1/2 lemon

Instructions

Make the ugali: bring 4 cups water to a boil, rain in the maize flour while stirring, and beat over medium heat 8–10 minutes until stiff enough to hold a spoon upright. Shape into a mound and keep warm.

Fry the onion in oil until golden; add garlic and the seasoning for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and cook down 5 minutes into a soft sauce.

Pile in the greens with a splash of water and braise 8–10 minutes until tender but still deep green. Season and finish with lemon.

Serve beside the ugali — pinch off a piece, roll it, dent it with your thumb, and scoop.

Kenyan everyday home cooking.

Ratings & reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to cook it.

🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Nairobi. The capital where sukuma wiki — "stretch the week" — earns its name.

🗺️

Kenya. Rift Valley farms, Swahili coast, and honest everyday food.

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Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →