Like I told you before, Cooking in Uganda can be done at different times of the day, and there are specific local delicacies enjoyed at a specific time of the day. In this article, I’m taking you through the different kinds of Ugandan evening foods.

• Muchomo (Roasted Meat)

All meat lovers out there, it’s time for you to open your eyes widely and attentively because I got you on this one. Nyama choma is a Swahili word for “roasted meat”. Muchomo in Uganda has become a tradition found in top-quality restaurants and on roadsides in all different areas countrywide. You cannot talk about cooking in Uganda and you don’t mention muchomo.

• TV Chicken

This is a delicious Ugandan food that is mostly popular among campus students and the youth today. TV chicken gets its name from the way it’s cooked in a rotisserie oven in a box shape that looks like a television. This yummy TV chicken is commonly found at roadside food stalls, and is preferably eaten with salads, smoked matooke, and chips (fries).

• Kikalayi (Fried Pork)

You haven’t had tasty pork until you’ve indulged yourself with a ‘kikalayi’. This refers to a large and durable locally crafted frying pan used for preparing different kinds of fried Ugandan foods. Kikalayi pork is bestly enjoyed with mates, that’s why it’s oftenly presented on a large round tray (with optional red chili). If you’re a pork lover, kikalayi is something to die for.

• Roasted Pork Ribs

These tasty Ugandan pork ribs, barbecued on a stick are sold at the roadside of bars, markets, and restaurants. They are sometimes served with Ugandan food such as roasted sweet plantain (gonja). Unpeeled matooke, cassava, tomato and onion salad (kachumbari), with avocado can also be added.

Cooking In Uganda (Seasonal Foods)

There are some Ugandan Evening Foods which can only be found during some particular seasons of the year. Once u miss them, you’ll have to wait for the next season which could probably not come until the next year. Some of these delicacies include;

• Fried Grasshoppers (Ensenene)

This is one of Uganda’s exclusive and most delicious delicacies. Ensenene is a traditional fried grasshopper delicacy mostly sold in bars, restaurants, and roadside vendors and hawkers.

This famous Ugandan snack is only available during the rainy seasons, mostly November and April. The wings and legs of these insects are removed and the grasshoppers are fried in their own natural oils. Some marketplaces and roadside vendors sell grasshoppers in paper bags or plastic containers, which can purchased fresh and fried by oneself. In pubs, this already fried treat can be served with any beverage preferred.

As you fry it at home, small dices of carrots and green pepper can be added and all cooked up together. When the grasshoppers are ready, small diced raw onion pieces can also be added to taste. This delicacy produces a breathtaking aroma, and it’s taste will make your evening special and heavenly.

• Roasted Maize/Corn (Kasooli)
  

This is fresh corn straight from the garden, and slowly roasted over a medium fire. It’s done until all sides turn to a brownish color and produces an appetizing aroma. If you pluck this fresh soft corn from the garden and don’t cook or roast it immediately, it loses its sweetness.

When you find someone cooking in Uganda or roasting corn next to a maize garden, just know that corn is deliciously fresh and so tasty. Since only fresh corn is used, it means it’s seasonal, so you might not find it throughout the whole year.

• Roasted/ Deep Fried/ Steamed Plantain (Gonja)

If you happen to live in Uganda or any other tropical region, you must undoubtedly be surrounded by all kinds of bananas of different colors: green, red, and yellow (they mostly turn yellow when ripe). Gonja or plantain is used in about a million recipes. If you want to enjoy the steamed plantain delicacy, you should use not very ripe gonja.

You can go the extra mile and wrap it up in banana leaves to get that aroma. After steaming it will come out yellow, or reddish like a sausage if steamed longer. This delicious Ugandan food can also be roasted or deep fried.

Gonja is usually seen on the streets of Uganda during some seasons and it also shows up alot at barbecues. Gonja can roasted in your home, but if you lack the patience for that, buy them from street vendors for a few Ugandan shillings and enjoy the tasty delicacy.