Africa-Press – Uganda. CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
Growing up, the most dreadful thing about Christmas was the chores, especially the cooking.
I hated Christmas for this, tiring away the whole day from 6:00am to 3:00pm, preparing food that is going to be eaten in 30 minutes, and then resume more cleaning up chores on a bloated stomach.I hated the work so much. I promised my mother 20 years or so back that when I grow up and become rich, I will declare one Christmas a work-free day.”No cooking, no chores, just wake up, go to church, come back home and I take you to a big hotel in Kampala for lunch.”I have not fulfilled my promise yet; what I am going to do though is do the bulk of the cooking this Christmas, alone!I do not want to see my mother in the kitchen. Maybe, I will use an extra hand from my young sister, Agatha, to help with the matooke, but that will be it.The rest of the cooking will be done by me as everyone is listening to Christmas Carols and watching Home Alone.My objective in this being to show them that you do not need to spend the whole morning and afternoon cooking lunch, only to spend the evening cleaning up.Wondering how I am going to pull this off? Simple, here goes.Christmas Eve (evening)Ensure that whatever is required for cooking, baking, fruits and vegetables are in place and ready.There should be no reason to go to a shop on Christmas. Slaughter the birds, chop into pieces and marinate in the fridge overnight for barbeque tomorrow.Soak the dry beans (if any) in water to stay overnight. If there’s any rice to be sorted, it should be done around this time.Christmas Day morning (6:00am) Wake up Agatha, instruct her to peel and put matooke (along with yams, pumpkin, kivuvu, or whatever addition I prefer to go with) on wood fire.As she does the peeling, I will be preparing the ingredients for baking a simple marble cake.Preparation should not take more than 20 minutes, then throw in the oven, to be checked after 40 minutes.While the cake bakes (because what is Christmas without cake?). I will prepare an English breakfast. Fry the eggs, sausages, bacon, toast bread and serve with or without canned baked beans.7:30am By now the matooke will be on fire, the cake baked and cooled, the coffee and tea will be ready, so everyone can have an English breakfast before they head off to church.The chocolate vanilla marble cake will be nibbled at through the day.The beans should also go on fire at this time.10:30am Ask Agatha to press the matooke and put it back on fire Boil (with salt, pepper, ginger and garlic) enough beef for both pilau and beef stew.Put ground nuts on a small sigiri (charcoal stove), to cook on low heat, closely monitored.I knead dough for chapatti and let it rest. The kneading shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.Slice enough onions, tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper and whatever vegetables will be required in the coming phase.Midday The chicken that has been marinating since last night goes into the oven right about now.Put the vegetable rice on fire. It’s just a matter of boiling with vegetables. (5 minutes)Get some of the boiled beef (which should be ready by now) and use it for making pilau (not more than 10 minutes).Start frying the chapatti, the dough has rested enough (about 20 minutes with my kitchen companion).Use the remaining fire after frying the chapattis to boil potatoes, to be sautéed when ready.Fry the beans, they should be ready by now (10 minutes)Fry the remaining beef for stew (not more than 10 minutes).1:00 pm Sautee the potatoes. Ask companion to blend fruit juice. Meanwhile, I prepare a vegetable salad and guacamole.1:30pm – Serve lunch1) Steamed matooke2) Pumpkin3) Vegetable rice4) Pilau5) Sautéed potatoes6) Oven baked bbq chicken7) Beef stew8) Beans9) Ground nut paste10) Chapatti11) Vegetable salad12) Guacamole13) Fresh fruit salad
