Welcome to our African food trivia section. Today we start with the question ‘what is sifuluko’ and go on to answer your frequently asked questions on this beloved delicacy of Luhya and Eastern Uganda cuisine.
Food Trivia
What is Sifuluko?
Sifuluko is a way to incorporate the rich flavor and high nutrition of groundnuts into dishes. Sifuluko is a traditional ingredient common to Luhya cuisine of Western Kenya and is also in Eastern Ugandan cuisine. In the most basic terms sifuluko is what you get when you pound roasted groundnuts into a paste. You can then cook the paste as-is into a sauce, or use it as a flavoring in other dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions and answers to frequently asked question on sifuluko.
Is it an ingredient, flavouring or food?
All. Sifuluko is the groundnut paste that is used as a flavoring when cooking certain foods in Luhya and Eastern Uganda cuisine. When used this way, it is a flavoring or ingredient. However, groundnut paste, sifuluko, is the main ingredient in a delicious sauce dish that’s called ….. you guessed it right: sifuluko!
What is the best way to enjoy it?
There are many ways to enjoy sifuluko, only your imagination stands in the way. If you are the type who consider peanut butter a go-to snack, then sifuluko is something you will enjoy on the go. The most common use is to make a sauce out of it and enjoy it poured over mash potatoes of cooked plantains whichever way you enjoy them. Then you can always incorporate it in your traditional vegetables or to add crunch to any modern curry.
Try the spicy take of this groundnut delicacy with our easy delicious recipe
Is sifuluko made from raw or cooked groundnuts?
Sifuluko is made from roasted groundnuts, always. Roasting groundnuts imparts flavor, makes it easy to pound into a paste and also makes it last longer. Besides, raw peanut tastes good, maybe ok, but nothing as heavenly as well roasted groundnuts that have been cooked all the way, crunchy on the outside, not burned.
But … I have peanut allergy
Sorry to learn about your allergies. But not to worry, there’s an ‘alternative’ if we can call it that. Have you ever heard of kamasikhisikhi? Well, it’s sifuluko but made from simsim.