Uji wa Pilipili Manga
Black Pepper Porridge
By: Miriam
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Muslim Calendar. This is the time when Muslims (excluding Children, elderly, sick and pregnant women) fast and strictly follow Islamic teachings. During this period a Muslim must avoid greed/selfishness, anger, envy, lust, and etcetera. The main reason is to allow a Muslim to be close to God. Not to forget, Muslims use this season to strengthen ties with their communities. This includes sharing food.
Did I say food! Yes, food. I remember when I was about 5 to 6 years old in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. Our neighbor who was from Zanzibar (the island of Tanzania) would always bring us food during Ramadan season. Sure the lady could cook. One thing I never understood at that age was that; This family would stay without eating anything for the whole day, then when it was time to eat, they would first drink ( very light) Uji wa pilipili manga (Black pepper porridge) . Even though I loved this porridge, but as a five year old, I thought they were insane; After not eating for that long, I could have run and eat pilau, ugali, bhajia, samosas and etcetera.
Now I can understand the scientific facts of why this family did break their fast by having a light porridge known as Uji wa pilipili manga. After not eating for the whole day, basically the intestine shrinks. It is not good after not eating for long hours to eat something heavy. To help the intestines expand without causing any stomach pain, it is always healthy to have something very light and warm. I guess that was why our neighbor would break their fast during Ramadan by having this light porridge.
Karibu, more will follow. Please click here to get the recipe of Uji wa pilipili manga.
I did receive a few requests to post recipes for Ramadan season. In the past, I always found myself very busy during Ramadan and Christmas season so I never post anything for those great seasons. This is special for Camilya, Shanice, Mkuu and all my Muslim visitors and I promise to add more, for now I say:
first comes first,
lets break the fast
Peace during this season.
September 14th, 2007
ENGLISH
In Tanzania most people have vitumbua for breakfast. To experience the real breakfast from the coast of Tanzania, you must have vitumbua with spiced tea. Spiced tea in America is known as Chai (In Swahili chai means tea). It is hard to tell the history of Vitumbua. Vitumbua are more common around the coast of Tanzania. Since this is not a Bantu recipe, I can guess it was introduced in Tanzania by Asians because Thailand has the same recipe for years; In Thailand the same recipe as vitumbua is known as Thai kanoom kran is translated as “Rice pancakes”. If you click the photo of Thai rice pancake above, you will be directed to a Thai food blog that has Thai version of vitumbua. I am sorry I did not see the name of the blogger.
One of my friends saw a photo of vitumbua. She then asked me if it was Danish aebleskiver. Of course I did not know what Danish aebleskiver was. After we talked, I went to the internet and search for aebleskiver pan (Photo above). I was shocked when I received this pan because the circles were roughly one inch wide compared to vitumbua pan, circles can be from 3 to 4 inches.
Sometimes, I use this pan for vitumbua. Four to five vitumbua made from aebleskiver pan makes one Tanzanian kitumbua using vitumbua pan. Click the photo then you will see for yourself how Danish aebleskiver and Tanzanian vitumbua look like one recipe. If you are allergic to gluten, you can replace wheat flour with rice flour from Danish aebleskiver and you will have vitumbua.
Finally; to make vitumbua requires practice. I went through bad days in the kitchen trying to get the perfect kitumbua. Only to realize that the pan I had was of a cheap quality. Last year my mother brought me a nice and heavy pan. Please do not try to save money when you are buying vitumbua pan. Also ask people, they will advise you what type of iron used to make vitumbua pan is the best.
I will now leave you with my mother’s translated vitumbua recipe. Note: I do not have all my recipes here with me, so the ingredients are not in cups and spoons as I normally do. I will post them once I have my files with me. But this will be helpful for those who wanted this recipe in English. This is exactly how my mother gave me.
1 kilo rice flour (2 pounds)
1/8 maize floor (This is 1/8 of rice flour)
Sugar (make it sweet)
Yeast
Cardamon
Oil for deep frying
Cook maize porridge, leave to cool down completely
Mix yeast and rice floor, add water. Make sure the mixture is not heavy or light. Leave to rise, and then add sugar, cardamon, and porridge, mix well
Heat vitumbua pan at medium heat, add oil, when oil is ready add the mixture to the pan.
You will see from the sides that the color is beginning to change, turn over using a fork. Add oil as needed.
Use tooth pick to check if it’s ready inside. Remove from pan.
Karibu.
I know this will not be easy for many people without the exact measurements, but it is good enough for now.
This post is especially for my blog visitors, Jawahar, Zayana and Mia who asked me to translate vitumbua recipe in Inglish. Also Abdul and Sarah, who wanted to know what pan to use for vitumbua since he cannot find a Tanzanian pan. Salma who’s vitumbua keep sticking on the pan.
SWAHILI
Sitaeleza kila kitu kama nilivyoeleza hapo juu kwa kiingereze maana najua wasomaji wangu wa kiswahili mshajua machache.
Si rahisi kujua historia ya vitumbua. Lakini wote tunajua kuwa vitumbua si mapishi ya kibantu. Naweza kuamini kuwa vitumbua vimeletwa Tanzania na watu kutoka bara la Asia kwa sababu Thailand pia wana mapishi haya toka miaka mingi iliyopita; mapishi haya yanajulikana kama kanoom kran huko Thai, ambayo kwa kiingereza ni “rice pancake”, na kwa kiswahili tunaweza kuita vitumbua vya Kithai. Bonyeza hapa ili utembelee mapishi ya vitumbua vya Kithai.Lakini sikufanikiwa kupata jina la mwanablogu huyo.
Rafiki yangu mmoja aliona picha ya vitumbua akaniuliza kama yalikuwa mapishi ya aebleskiver kutoka Denmark. Kwa kusema ukweli sikujua aebleskiver ni nini. Baada ya kuongea nae, nikaenda mtandaoni kutafuta kikaango cha aebleskiver (picha hapo juu). Nilishangaa nilipopata kikaango hiki maana viduara vya kupikia kitumbua kimoja ni karibu sawa na inchi moja, kulinganiasha na kikaango cha vitumbua ambavyo, mduara wake unaweza kuwa inchi kama tatu au nne.
Wakati mwingine napenda kutumia kikaango hicho kupikia vitumbua. Vitumbua vinne au vitano unavyopika kutumia kikaango cha aebleskiver ni karibu sawa na kitumbua kimoja unachopika kutumia kikaango cha vitumbua. Bonyeza hapa kusoma mapishi ya Danish aebleskiver ujionee mwenyewe vile vina fanana na vitumbua. Kama pia una matatizo ya kula unga wa ngano, unaweza kutumia unga wa mchele badala ya unga wa ngano katika mapishi ya aebleskiver, ili upate vitumbua.
Mwisho: Kupika vitumbua vinahitaji muda. mimi nilipitia siku mbaya pia wakati naanza kujifunza kupika vitumbua. Mwishoni niligundua kuwa nilikuwa natumia kikaango kibaya. Chuma cha kikaango hicho kilikuwa si kizuri. Mwaka jana mama aliniletea kikaango kizuri. Tafathali usijaribu kubania pesa kwa kununua kikaango cha bei rahisi. Pia ulizia watu watakuambia kikaango cha chuma gani ni kizuri.
Bonyeza hapa upate mapishi haya ya vitumbua niliyo yaandika Mwezi wa sita mwaka jana. Niliyaandika kama mama yangu alivyonipa, sijabadilisha kitu.
Naweka mapishi haya tena kwa ya wageni wangu wa blogu hii Jawahar, Zayana na Mia ambao waliniomba niandike mapishi haya ya vitumbua kwa kiingereza. Pia Abdul na Sarah wanaotaka kujua watumie kikaango gain kwa sababu hawana vikaango vya vitumbua. Bila kusahau Salma ambae vitumbua vyake vinashika kwenye kikaango.
August 28th, 2007
A few people had asked me to send them some of the recipes via email. I did try to reply to all and inform them that I do not send recipes via email to individuals. I do post the recipes here on my two websites www.mirecipe.com and blog.mirecipe.com. I received another request a few days ago. I would like to advise my visitors that if you request for any recipe, I will post it here. I do not zip any files to anyone unless it is translation of some ingredients that they asked me to do so.
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Wachache wameniomba niwatumie mapishi tofauti kupitia barua pepe. Nilijaribu kuwajibu kuwaeleza kuwa mimi simtumii mtu yeyote mapishi kupitia barua pepe. Maombi yote nayaweka kwenye tovuti zangu
www.mirecipe.com na
blog.mirecipe.com. Nimepata maombi mengine siku chache zilizipita. Ningependa kuwaeleza wageni wangu wa mtandaoni kuwa kama ukiomba mapishi yeyote, mimi nitaya weka hapa. Situmi mapishi kwa barua pepe. Lakini naweza kusaidia kama mtu anataka kujua kiungo kwa lugha ya Kiswahili au Kiingereza.
August 18th, 2007
