Destination
Kampala
The story
Luwombo is the classical dish of the Buganda royal court and one of Uganda's proudest culinary inheritances. Chicken (traditionally the whole bird jointed), beef, goat, mushroom, dried fish or a mixture of these is marinated in a paste of onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and curry powder, then folded into a parcel of banana leaves and slow-steamed over a big pot of water for two hours. The wrapping steams the meat in its own juices while the banana leaf gives the whole thing a specific vegetal and slightly smoky aroma. The dish is served at every Buganda royal ceremony, every wedding across the Buganda kingdom, and every Christmas dinner. Traditionally, each guest receives their own individual luwombo parcel, unwrapped at the table.
Method
Warm oil in a wide heavy pan. Season chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper. Brown in batches 6 minutes total until deeply coloured. Reserve.
In the same pan, cook onion 6 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and green chilies. Cook 60 seconds. Add curry powder, ground coriander, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Toast 60 seconds. Add tomato paste and chopped tomatoes. Cook 8 minutes until thick and the oil separates.
Whisk ground peanuts (or peanut butter) with the warm chicken stock in a bowl until smooth. Add to the tomato base with the salt. Bring to a simmer.
Return the browned meat to the sauce. Simmer 10 minutes so the meat picks up the flavour. Off the heat, fold in chopped coriander. The sauce should be thick and pasty; not soupy.
Pass each banana leaf briefly over a flame or hot pan (2 seconds each side) to soften and release aroma. Wipe with a damp cloth. If they are large, use two overlapping smaller pieces per parcel.
Divide the meat and sauce between the banana leaves, spooning 1 piece of chicken plus a generous ladle of sauce into the middle of each leaf. Fold the sides up over the filling, then fold the ends over to make a tight rectangular parcel. Tie tightly with strips of banana leaf or with kitchen string, both crosswise and lengthwise.
Set up a large steamer with 5cm of water. Line the bottom of the steamer basket with extra banana leaves. Arrange the parcels seam-down. Cover tightly. Steam over medium heat 90 minutes to 2 hours, topping up water every 30 minutes.
Serve each parcel on a plate with steamed matoke, rice or posho on the side. Diners cut the string, peel back the leaf, and eat the stew with a fork or hands. Top with kachumbari, coriander and lime.
Tips
- Thick sauce before wrapping. The mixture must be paste-like, not soupy. Runny sauce leaks from the banana leaf during steaming.
- Softened banana leaves. Passing them over a flame is not optional. Stiff leaves crack when folded.
- Tight wrap and tight tie. Every parcel needs to be sealed so the steam-braise builds up inside.
- Individual portions. The Buganda tradition is one parcel per guest, unwrapped at the table. This is a serving-style choice worth honouring.
- Steam long. Two hours minimum for tender chicken. Under-steamed luwombo has chewy meat.
More recipes
View all
Chicken, beef or fish slow-steamed in an aromatic peanut sauce inside a folded banana leaf. Ugandan royal court dish, adopted at every Rwandan special occasion.
Cubes of goat meat pan-fried hard with onion, tomato, garlic and curry powder until the sauce is thick and glossy. Kampala's everyday goat dish.
Whole marinated chickens slow-rotated on a vertical rotisserie behind the shop window, chopped and served with chapati, kachumbari and hot chili sauce. Kampala's post-work classic.
Cubes of marinated goat meat threaded onto skewers and grilled over charcoal, served with kachumbari salsa and boiled cassava. Kampala's classic evening bar food.
Ground peanuts simmered with onion, tomato and mixed spices into a rich, creamy sauce. Buganda's essential accompaniment to matoke, posho and rice.
Whole tilapia scored deep, marinated in garlic and lime, then deep-fried until the skin is dark crackly. Kampala fish-market lunch, served with cassava and kachumbari.