Crispy fried beef strips sautéed in a velvety Mongolian sauce paired with a comforting morsel of traditional Ugali. Mongolian Beef Ugali is a fusion of the famous Chinese-American takeout and Eastern African cuisine making it a wholesome meal.
Don’t be fooled by the name. Mongolian beef has more of its ties rooted to the United States than Mongolia. A dish emerging in the mid 20th century from Chinese-American restaurants, now a popular Chinese take-out meal.
Mongolian Beef usually consists of stir-fry beef tossed in a bold sticky sauce which is slightly sweet and sometimes spicy. It is commonly served in restaurants as an appetizer made in a wok within 2-3 minutes. The soya sauce, oyster sauce and sugar brings the Mongolian flavor together while the fried garlic and ginger adds a subtle earthiness. Add some dried red chilies for spice, sprinkle over green onions and there you have it.
Ugali is a staple food in Africa made from Maize flour and water, somewhat like an African porridge. It has a thick dough-like consistency which serves as an accompaniment with stews, meats and vegetables. It goes by different names like Posho, Sadza, Isitshwala, Nsima, spanning across the continent of Africa.
Although they have different names, the preparation remains the same as it is a fundamental part of the daily diet in regions like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda to name a few.
A fusion of these two wonderful cuisines is the perfect combination for a quick weeknight meal. This quick and easy recipe is ready in 30 minutes with easily available ingredients. Let us know if you try out this crispy homemade Mongolian beef with the traditional African Ugali.
Ingredients
Herbs and Spices: salt, pepper
Liquids: soya sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil
Regular ingredients: onion, cornstarch, sugar, garlic, ginger, dried red chilies
Specialty ingredients: maize flour, sirloin strips
See recipe card for quantities.
Walk through the Recipe
Let’s start preparing the Mongolian Beef Ugali.
We prepare the Ugali by adding two parts maize flour to four parts boiling water. Follow the steps in the recipe card for the exact method.
As the Ugali is cooking, in the meantime we marinate the beef strips with soya sauce, cornstarch and seasoning and set it aside for 30 minutes. We also prepare the Mongolian sauce by mixing oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and soya sauce.
It's time to prepare the Mongolian beef. We fry the marinated beef strips in a hot wok with vegetable oil until crispy and then we set it aside on a paper towel.
Sauté spring onion whites, dried red chilies and finely chopped ginger and garlic until aromatic.
We now add in sliced onions and give it a quick toss before adding the cooked beef back into the wok.
Pour in the Mongolian sauce over the beef and mix it well to coat all the pieces with the sauce.
Let it cook for another minute or two for the sauce to thicken and release its flavor. We then add in the sliced spring onions and the Mongolian beef is ready.
Scoop over the Mongolian beef in a serving plate along with bite size pieces of Ugali to finish the dish.
Substitutions
You can replace some of the ingredients in the recipe to suit what you have at home.
- Dried red chilies: red pepper flakes
- Sugar: brown sugar
- Rice wine vinegar: regular red vinegar, white vinegar
- Maize flour: millet flour, sorghum flour
Tips
- Consistent stirring: Stir the ugali mixture continuously to prevent lumps from forming and the bottom from burning.
- Ugali shape: You can shape the ugali into a dome, round ball or a flat disc depending on your preference.
- Thin beef slices: Slice the beef thin to ensure even cooking and crispy texture.
- High heat: Stir-frying beef and all the ingredients over high heat ensures a good sear and keeps the beef tender.
- Spice level: You can balance out the spice level by omitting the dried red chilies or adding red pepper flakes. You can also add or reduce the amount of sugar in the dish as per your preference.
- Serve immediately: Mongolian beef is best enjoyed hot right after cooking. Serve it with a good heap of Ugali.
FAQs
Ugali by itself has a neutral taste which balances out flavors in a main dish making it a great accompaniment.
Ugali has a dense and doughy consistency, similar to a thick porridge that can be shaped into a ball and is often served in individual portions.
Yes, You can reheat Ugali in a microwave as it does become firmer when cooled.
Mongolian beef does not have any relation to Mongolian cuisine. There is no exact information as to where the name came from but it's linked to originating from the Chinese-American restaurants.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Tender Beef Karahi Recipe
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta (Rasta Pasta Recipe)
- Mushroom Pappardelle
- Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl
Fusion Recipes
Try out some of our specialty recipes:
- Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
- Sumac Fries
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Indian style)
- Easy Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
Recipe
Mongolian Beef Ugali
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 5 dried red chilies
- 3 spring onions
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 5 tablespoon soya sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups maize flour
- 4 cups water
- salt to taste
- pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat four cups of water over medium heat and add a pinch of salt. As the water boils, pour in the maize flour and stir against the side of the pan to break up the lumps. As the mixture thickens, it gets more difficult to stir but keep mixing.
- Once the mixture begins to come away from the side of the saucepan, cover with a lid and cook on low heat for another 3 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
- Place thinly sliced beef in a bowl and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Add two tablespoons of soya sauce and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and three tablespoons of soya sauce to prepare the Mongolian beef sauce. Finely slice the bulbs of the spring onions and cut one inch slices of the green part and set aside.
- In a wok, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and fry the marinated beef strips for 2-3 minutes on high heat until slightly crispy. Remove the beef from the wok and place it over a paper towel.
- In the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil and sauté the ginger, garlic, red chilies and green onion whites until aromatic. Add in sliced onions and give it a quick toss for 30 seconds. Add the cooked beef back in the wok, pour over the Mongolian beef sauce and toss well to ensure all pieces are well coated with the sauce.
- Cook for another minute on high heat and add the green part of the spring onions and toss. Get creative with your presentation of Ugali served with a heap of Mongolian beef.
Christopher Dcunha
This looks so yummmm !!