A smooth, slightly sour fermented millet-and-sorghum porridge, sipped warm to start the day.

Where does Uji come from?

Uji is a Kenyan dish from Nairobi, Kenya.

Can Uji be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Uji 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 Uji take to make?

About 25 minutes total (5 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.

Uji — a Nairobi, Kenya recipe

Name: Uji
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Kenyan
Ingredients: 1 cup millet + sorghum flour (fermented if you like); 5 cups water; to taste sugar or honey; a squeeze lemon (optional, for tang)

Africa → 🇰🇪 Kenya → Nairobi

Uji

Kenyan · easy · serves 4

prep 5 min · cook 20 min

~143 cal · 5g protein · 32g carbs · 1g fat (estimated, per serving)

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Cup of smooth brown fermented porridge

🇰🇪 Nairobi

Uji is the everyday East African breakfast porridge, made in Kenya from a blend of millet, sorghum, and sometimes maize flour, often left to ferment for a gentle tang. Thin enough to drink from a cup, it is nourishing and warming, given to children and elders alike across the country.

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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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1 cup millet + sorghum flour (fermented if you like)

•

5 cups water

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to taste sugar or honey

•

a squeeze lemon (optional, for tang)

Instructions

1

Whisk the flour with 1 cup cold water into a smooth slurry.

2

Bring the remaining water to a boil.

3

Stream in the slurry while whisking to keep it lump-free.

4

Simmer 10–15 minutes until smooth and glossy.

5

Sweeten to taste and sip warm from a cup.

Nairobi tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

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

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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.

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Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

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