Crispy Ugali Fries with Nyama Choma Bites

Method

1. Bring the water and salt to the boil in a 18 cm pot over high heat, then whisk in a third of the maize meal a little at a time so no lumps form. Turn down to medium-low heat, add the rest of the meal bit by bit and stir non-stop with a wooden spoon for 10 min, pressing the dough against the pot, until it's stiff and comes cleanly away from the sides. Hot dough can spit, so use a long spoon. Spread it 1.5 cm thick in a dish lined with baking paper, let it cool, then chill for 1 h until firm.

   Add in this stepFine white maize meal 140 gWater (for the ugali) 440 mlSalt (for the ugali) ½ tsp

   high heat→medium-low heat

2. While the ugali sets, cut the meat into 2.5 cm cubes. Toss with the grated garlic and ginger, coarse salt, pepper, lemon juice and half of the oil for the meat, and leave to marinate.

   Add in this stepBeef sirloin or rump (or lamb) 240 gGarlic cloves, finely grated 1Fresh ginger, finely grated 8 gCoarse salt (for the meat) ¾ tspBlack pepper ½ tspLemon (juice) ½Vegetable oil (for the meat) ¾ tbsp

3. Kachumbari salsa: deseed the tomato and finely dice it into 5 mm pieces with the red onion and green chilli. Add the chopped coriander and season with the salt and lime juice.

   Add in this stepTomato (for the salsa) 1Red onion (for the salsa) ½Green chilli (for the salsa) ½Fresh coriander (for the salsa) 8 gLime (for the salsa) ½Salt (for the salsa) 1 pinch

4. Yoghurt dip: stir the hot sauce into the Greek yoghurt.

   Add in this stepGreek yoghurt 5 tbspHot sauce 1 tsp

5. Cut the set ugali into sticks 1.5 cm thick and 8 cm long and pat the surface dry with kitchen paper; any moisture will make the oil spit. Pour the frying oil into a 18 cm pot to a depth of 3 cm (no more than a third of the way up) and heat over medium-high heat to 180 °C. Without a thermometer: a crumb of ugali should bubble vigorously straight away. Fry a single layer at a time so the sticks don't touch, for 5 min per batch, turning now and then, until golden and crisp. If the oil smokes, turn off the heat at once, and never leave the pot unattended. Drain on a rack or kitchen paper.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for deep-frying) 800 ml

   medium-high heat

6. Heat a 24 cm cast-iron pan over high heat until it just smokes, then add the rest of the oil. Spread the meat out in one layer without touching and cook for 5 min in total, turning, until deeply charred outside. Cook in batches if it doesn't all fit; crowded meat steams instead of searing.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for the meat) ¾ tbsp

   high heat

7. Pile the ugali fries on a large platter, top with the meat bites and spoon over plenty of kachumbari salsa. Serve straight away with the yoghurt dip, while everything is hot.