If ever there is a list of comfort foods here in Uganda, katogo must be first on that list. Katogo basically means adding whatever ingredients are available in a saucepan and putting them on a stove until everything is cooked. It is that simple. Aside from the tedious task of peeling the potatoes and yams beforehand, katogo is the kind of comfort food that is effortless. I decided to combine three tubers; sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, and yams (the purple kind). The tubers give the meal a warm earthy flavour while the beans add richness making it ideal for gloomy weather.
What you will need:
Onions, chopped
Garlic cloves, finely chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Yams halved
Sweet potatoes, halved
Irish potatoes, halved
Beans, boiled
Green onions (as garnish), finely chopped
Cooking oil
Chilli oil, a few drops
Curry powder
Salt
Method
On high fire, Add cooking oil to the sauce pan and let it get hot. Add the garlic and onions and wait for them to become translucent. Add the tomatoes, chilli oil, curry powder and salt and stir. Add the Irish potatoes first, then the yams and then the sweet potatoes. Top with the beans and cover pan for about 10 minutes. Add half a glass of water and stir so that the beans are evenly distributed. Let the Katogo cook till the Irish potatoes are soft and tender. Remove from fire and serve warm.
To make a soupy katogo, add more water. I did not put any specific measurements to the ingredients because when making katogo, we don’t measure. Instincts are used depending on how many people are to be cooked for. Clearly I was cooking for a full house and thus the large tray.
I hope you enjoy making and eating this katogo because it is comfort food and the weather allows so. Also, what are your favorite katogo ingredients?
Written by Sophie, follow her blog akitcheninuganda.com for more.
