616. Kabalagala (Ugandan Pancakes)#BreadBakers

Kabalagala (Ugandan Pancakes)#BreadBakers

So many different types its unbelievable

I didn’t have any theme in mind when I volunteered to host the month of February for the Bread Bakers group.As Christmas got over and the year was ending I knew I had to think of a theme pretty soon. I went back to the rules for participants and there the word pancake kept staring at me. The only pancakes I know are the usual Indian ones like dosas, uttappams, chilas etc and of course the typical fluffy American style ones dripping with melted butter and honey or maple syrup. Did a bit of research (what would we do without Google?) and hey presto the world opened up to me with a variety of pancakes I’d never heard of. So I challenged the members to the theme of pancakes from different parts of the world, to venture out to pancakes they’ve not made before.

I am so grateful that the members took time to research and have come up with different pancakes. Check the list below and please visit each blog to find out the different names and recipes of the pancakes.

So basically the dictionary describes pancakes as a thin flat cake of batter fried on both sides on a griddle or in a frying pan. However, as I researched, the meaning of pancake widened. Some pancakes are baked, some are fried and some may appear like flat breads but are actually known as pancakes in the region of origin.Some have yeast as leavening agent others have baking agents. Pancakes can be sweet or savory, may contain different types of flours, fruits, vegetables. There’s a whole world of pancakes out there. Drop scones, waffles, crumpets, pikelets, oatcakes are classified as pancakes.(However countries of origin may refute that!)

from google

My contribution towards this theme is a pancake from Uganda. Uganda is a landlocked East African country, neighbouring Kenya on the west side. When one mentions Uganda and the immediately one thinks of the dictator ruler Idi Amin. His rule ruined a country which at one time was known as the Pearl of Africa. Uganda has very fertile farmlands and amazing National Parks.Its exports coffee and other produces. The staple food in Uganda is maizemeal, plantains, peanuts, cassava along with meat. Kenyans love the small bananas or menvu as they are called in Uganda. They are sweet and irresistible.

These pancakes from Uganda are called Kabalagala. They are made from cassava (tapioca) flour, mashed sweet banana or plantains. Gluten free,sugar free they look more like doughnuts but every possible Ugandan blog post, article I read about food from Uganda describes Kabalagala as a pancake.The recipe is very simple and the pancakes were absolutely delicious with a hot cup of coffee. Kabalagala in the Luganda language means pancake made using sweet bananas and cassava flour.The original preparation made by Nubians was called kabalagara. An affluent area in the city of Kampala is named after the pancake. Kabalagala is a famous street food in Uganda, enjoyed with tea as breakfast or served with stew.  It is believed that these pancakes became very famous as a cheap alternative to cakes and bread during the Idi Amin Regime as they were affordable and combination of banana and cassava keeps one’s tummy full for a long period of time.

KABALAGALA (UGANDAN PANCAKES)
Recipe source: Here

2 big or 6 small over ripe bananas
2-2¼ cups cassava(tapioca) flour
a generous pinch of salt
¼ tsp soda bicarbonate (baking soda)
¼ tsp pepper powder

oil for deep frying
extra flour for dusting

1. Peel and mash the bananas.
2. Sift flour, salt and pepper powder together.
3. Add flour little by little into the mashed banana and mix with a spatula or a spoon.
4. Keep on adding the flour till its thick enough to knead.
5. Dust the worktop with some flour and knead the dough. The dough should not be sticky. I used about 2¼ cups of flour.
6. Roll it out into a ¼” thick circle. Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut out round discs.
7. Gather up the remaining dough and roll again and cut. Keep on repeating the process till all the dough is used up.
8. Heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan over medium heat. The oil is ready when a small piece of dough put in the oil rises to the top immediately.
9. Fry the pancakes till they are golden brown.
10. Dust some icing sugar if you like before serving.