Across the African continent and its diaspora, a swallow is a starch that often begins as a grain, tuber or root that's steamed, then crushed and pounded into an elastic dough. This process renders the starch pliable enough to mold and use for scooping broth or sauce from bowl to mouth. One entry in this category, ugali, is an East African swallow made from milled white maize flour (also called mahindi flour) that goes by other names, such as posho, nsmia and pap. Its preparation can be region-specific, with water, broth or milk all used as primary liquids, and butter, sometimes added to enrich the cooked starch. Like any swallow made from a fine milled flour, ugali is prone to forming lumpy pockets, if the ingredients are not evenly incorporated. To avoid this, a slurry is developed off the heat in the pot as the first step in this recipe. Ugali, similar to most swallows, is best served hot alongside vegetable soups, such as light soup with mushrooms, cagaar (spinach stew), collards (Liberian stewed greens) or grilled beef kebabs.

News Source : https://www.oregonlive.com/nytcooking/2026/06/782240874-ugali-white-corn-swallow.html