In the latest episode of their popular cooking segment, Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinage led Patrick Igunza in preparing the national staple: ugali. However, his "kitchen mastery" left his Hot 96 FM co-host, Patrick Igunza, in a state of visible disbelief.
The duo had already prepared a spread of beef, chicken, and sukuma wiki. It was finally time for the main task of preparing ugali. As the water began to simmer, the atmosphere in the kitchen changed.
The Butter Controversy
Patrick Igunza watched closely as the water reached boiling point. He expected the traditional two-ingredient process. Instead, Jeff reached for a tub of butter.
“We’re going to use simple ingredients. It’s almost reaching the boiling point, and then we get some butter, that’s how I usually cook,” Jeff Koinage said.
Patrick’s reaction was immediate. He appeared stunned by the deviation from the classic Kenyan recipe. Jeff, however, remained unfazed by his colleague’s protest.
The surprises did not end with the butter. Jeff continued to elevate the dish with ingredients rarely seen in a standard Kenyan kitchen. He proceeded to add milk and a specific type of seasoning that caught Patrick off guard.
"Oh, why are you so shocked? The unga is coming, and let's not forget, got to have some Himalayan pink salt the you stir slowly," Jeff said while reaching for the cooking stick.
Patrick’s shock turned into a plea for Jeff to stop the unconventional additions. "Don't do this, man. The Luhya ancestors are rolling in the graves with rage asking what’s this now," he urged as the mixture was stirred together.
The Final Result
Despite the initial "protest" from Patrick, the cooking continued. Jeff moved to the final stages of the process, confident in his recipe.
"It's coming. It's coming," Jeff reassured his co-host. He then began the vigorous stirring required to bring the flour and the enriched liquid together.
“The secret to GREAT UGALI? Well… a chef never REVEALS all his TRICKS. I may have shared a thing or two during my kitchen takeover with Igunza,” Jeff captioned the video.
While the use of butter and milk remains a point of contention for purists, Jeff Koinange has certainly started a conversation about the "secret ingredients" of the perfect ugali.
