Uji is nutritious
PORRIDGE is one of the most important foods that were greatly valued in our traditional society. It was highly recommended for recuperating patients and mothers who had delivered. It was also preferred by men who were involved in manual work. Porridge, locally known as uji is made from various kinds of flours depending on agricultural potentiality of different regions.
Sorghum and millet were extensively used among farming and non farming communities although maize was also used. Porridge is made by thickening flour paste through heating. Cereal flour contains starch which increases in thickness or in viscosity as it is heated through the process of gelatinization (formation of a thick substance like a gel). In culinary practices, low moist heat is used in order to help the starch absorb water and thicken slowly.
Cereal flour is an important source of various nutrients It is rich in carbohydrates and hence an important source of energy. It is also a rich source of vitamin B which helps the body to utilize carbohydrates. It also contains minerals such as iron and zinc among others, which are particularly important for the body’s defence mechanism. Sour uji is important because it helps to create an acidic stomach condition necessary for the absorption of vitamin C and other minerals.
Porridge is also made using a mixture of many different kinds of flour. Today, there are various kinds of flour being used to make porridge. Legume and fish flour are some of them. However, this has occasioned an increased risk of nutrition interference in the absorption and utilization of the nutrients. There is the danger of indigestion and nutrient to nutrient reaction within the body. Most legumes usually take more than two hours to cook while cereals can cook in less than an hour. In most culinary practice porridge is cooked in less than 30 minutes. There is therefore danger of consuming legumes which are not properly cooked.
Unless the legumes are soaked and pre-cooked before being ground to flour, they should thus be avoided in the preparation of porridge. It is advisable to use pure legume flour or pure cereal flour when cooking uji without mixing the two.
MAKING ENRICHED AND NUTRITIOUS UJI
The secret behind making enriched uji is to reduce the amount of water that is used in the process and replace most of the water with a nutritious fluid like milk. There is also the need for additional calories to make it more energy dense.
Ingredients
- cup of flour
- 1 cup milk boiled
- 2 cups of water
- 3 table spoons of sugar
METHOD
Put the water in a sufuria and bring it to boil. Put the flour in a plastic container and add cold water. Stir the mixture using a wooden spoon until you make a thick paste. Pour the mixture in the boiling water and stir continuously until it boils. Add sugar and continue boiling for 20 minutes. If the consistent is still thin, add more flour to make it thick. Add milk to the desired consistency. When cooked remove from heat and cool.
END:PG15/50