Uganda

eCookbook
learn how to save time and money by electrifying your kitchen
 Uganda eCookbook

Published: March 2022

Lead authors: Agnes Naluwagga and Meron Tesfamichael

Contributing authors: Vimbai Chapungu, Jacob Fodio Todd & Jon Leary

Featuring: Lucy Nakiridde, Esther Nyambura, Jimmy Agaba

Photos: CREEC, Alex Catherine Nagawa

Lead Design: Vimbai Chapungu

Contributing Design: Jacob Fodio Todd & Jon Leary

The Uganda eCookbook was developed by the Centre for Research in Energy and Energy
Conservation (CREEC), the country partner for the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS)
Programme in Uganda, and funded by UK Aid.

This eCookbook is based on the findings of Cooking with Electricity in Uganda: Barriers and
Opportunities. For the full methodology, findings and detailed references, please consult
this report, available on the MECS website.

www.MECS.org.uk | www.MECSplus.org

Contact for EPC sales/purchases:

Tel: +256 757 102972 / +256 786 046418
Email: [email protected]

This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however,
the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
 Foreword

Firewood and charcoal remain the main source of energy for cooking in Uganda
accounting for over 90% in the energy balance. The over dependency on firewood and
charcoal for cooking is not only unsustainable but has negative impacts on the
environment and on public health. To address this challenge, in 2013 Government put in
place the Biomass Energy Strategy (BEST) for Uganda. BEST provides rational and
implementable approaches to manage the biomass energy sector. The strategy has
interventions to reduce the biomass demand which among others includes the use of
alternative sources of energy for cooking such as electricity.

Currently, a number of Government-led efforts are underway to support and create

demand for the use of electricity. Among them is the Charcoal to Power program. This is
one of the strategies by Government to absorb additional power to be generated once
Karuma HPP is commissioned in Mid 2022. Government is committed to promoting
eCooking as a way of reducing over dependency on firewood and charcoal as we switch to
using clean energy.

We are glad to note that the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) has supported
piloting the Electric Pressure Cooker (EPC) in Uganda. Among the areas of support by MECS
to the Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Conservation (CREEC), Makerere
University, is preparing this eCookBook that shows how the EPC can be the most time, cost
and energy efficient way of preparing most traditional dishes in Uganda.

I want to thank MECS for supporting this initiative and CREEC for preparing the eCookBook
for Uganda. This will be a very important tool for Government and key stakeholders in
raising awareness regarding the reduced energy cost arising out of switching from
expensive energy sources to cooking with electricity using the Electric Pressure Cooker.

I therefore call upon all the Government Agencies and our key Partners to read the
eCookBook and use the valuable information in it to promote eCooking.
Summary of the Uganda eCookBook

The Uganda eCookBook looks at the role energy-efficient cooking devices can

play in Uganda's energy future. It is part of a series of MECS eCookBooks that

seek to highlight the compatibility of energy-efficient electric appliances with

local cuisine.

This eCookbook shows how electric pressure cookers can be the most time,

cost and energy-efficient way of preparing traditional Ugandan dishes, such

as matooke and beans. It aims to share information and knowledge about

cooking with energy efficient electric appliances in Uganda, gathered during

kitchen laboratory studies and other research conducted by CREEC in

collaboration with the MECS programme in Uganda, and offer an alternative

narrative about cooking with electricity.

In 2022 Ugandans still largely rely on charcoal, wood or other forms of

biomass for their household cooking needs. Only 5% primarily use clean and

modern energy, such as electricity. However, recent findings from controlled

cooking tests (CCTs) carried out in Kampala, help to shed light on how

energy-efficient electric appliances can make a significant contribution to

domestic cooking from a taste, cost, time and energy-efficiency perspective.

This eCookbook shows you how!

 over
It explores the opportunities

80% for using electricity for

cooking in Uganda!
of typical weekly Ugandan menu
can be cooked with an EPC
Urban households

This eCookBook highlights the wide

compatibility of Ugandan dishes that Electricity Access= 7 in 10 people
can be cooked using an EPC, especially
for heavy foods, retaining the fantastic
flavours of Ugandan cuisine. Using electricity as primary cooking
fuel= 0 in 10 people (4%)

up to

50%
time & cost savings using an
LUCY ESTHER JIMMY EPC instead of charcoal

It talks to cooks that have

integrated eCooking into their It showcases the significant
daily lives and shows how to energy, time and cost savings
cook traditional and authentic that are possible using
Ugandan dishes using Electric energy-efficient cooking
Pressure Cookers! devices for typical Ugandan
dishes.
 Table of Contents
COOKING IN UGANDA

01
Food Culture & Diet 8
Seasons 9
Typical Daily Cooking timeline 10
Typical Ugandan foods 11

THE KITCHEN LAB

CREEC's Kitchen Laboratory 13
Dishes Tested 14

02
Devices Compared 15
The Inefficiencies of Conventional Cooking 16
The Electric Pressure Cooker (EPC) 17
EPC Safety Features 18
The proportion of a typical Ugandan 19
menu that can be cooked with an EPC
EPC Top tips 20

03
STORIES FROM THE KITCHEN
Jimmy 22
Esther 23
Lucy 24
Myth Buster 25

RECIPES
27

04
Meat Stew
Bean Stew 29
Matooke 31
Posho 34
Sponge Cake 35
Sukuma Wiki 36

CLEAN COOKING & ELECTRICITY

05
ACCESS IN UGANDA
Electricity Access & Clean Cooking in Uganda 38
Cooking with biomass in urban Uganda 39
Cooking with modern energy in urban Uganda 40
Accelerating the uptake of eCooking in Uganda 41
Energy Efficient Appliances 42
eCooking Appliance checklist 43
Conclusion 44
Cooking in Uganda
 Food, Culture and Diet

Regional Cooking Culture

Cooking practices and types of foods regularly consumed vary from one region to
another depending on factors like climate and land cover as well as by ecological
zone and ethnic group.

Northern region
In the Northern parts of the
country, the primary food crops include groundnut,
cassava millet,
sorghum, and simsim (sesame).

Maize is grown
country-wide, but
Western region
mostly in eastern
A wide variety of dry and western
beans are Uganda
produced
predominantly in the
Western and Northern
regions.
Eastern region
Depending on the
Eastern and Northern Uganda
season
contribute about two-thirds of
Kampala
total cassava
production. Matooke is also
popular in Eastern Uganda.

Central region
Households in Central and Western Uganda heavily rely on
matooke and sweet potatoes as their staple food.

8
 Seasons

Seasonality Of Popular Foods

J F M A M J J A S O N D
Matooke
Jan- Jun

Maizeflour
Jul- Feb

Beans
Oct- Apr

= Available

Dietary Patterns

The Ugandan diet features predominantly plant-based foods, and most energy in people’s daily
meals comes from roots or tubers such as cassava, sweet potatoes, cereals such as maize and
millet, and plantains. As much of the food production in Uganda takes place at the smallholder
and subsistence level, under rain-fed conditions, food markets in urban areas are affected by
food availability and fluctuating prices.

Matooke is central to the diet of many households especially in the Central and Western parts of
Uganda. It is abundant from mid-January until the end of June, after which the availability goes
down and the price increases. Seasonal dietary change revolves around the availability and cost
of matooke especially in Kampala. Matooke, when expensive, is first replaced with rice, which is
not a traditional staple food in Uganda although is increasingly popular in urban areas, and
ultimately with posho (made from maize flour). Maize flour, which is sourced from all over
Uganda, is available in abundance from July until February.

Fresh beans are available in abundance from October to April, while there is relatively regular
supply of cassava and no known significant price hikes or scarcity.

9
 Typical Daily Cooking Timeline

CREEC conducted an online survey to understand what households in Kampala

cook, when and for how long. On average, households in Kampala cook two meals
per day and spend four hours preparing it. Some people, especially workers who
may be out for most of the day, also eat elaborate and filling meals such as
Katogo for breakfast.

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

6am 9am 12pm 3pm 6PM

Lunch typically consists

of staples,beans/peas
or meat stews along
with groundnut paste
sauce

Saucepan Saucepan Saucepan

Tea/Spiced water 20mins Pumpkin 30-45mins Tea/Spiced water 20mins
Milk 15mins Meat Stew 40mins-1hr Meat Stew 40mins-1hr
Katogo 40-45mins Karo 20mins Rice 20mins
Vegetables 10-15mins Posho/Ugali 20mins
Frying Pan Beans 1-2hrs Vegetables 10-15mins
Fried eggs 10mins Cow Peas 1hr Katogo 40-45mins
Chapati 10mins Rice 20mins Fish stew 15-30mins
Fish 15-30mins
Bread* Matooke 1-2hrs Oven
Roasted Meat 1-2hrs
Saucepan + frying pan Saucepan + frying pan
Cassava 20-40mins Cassava 20-40mins Frying Pan
Potatoes 40mins Fried egg w/Soup 15-20mins
Chapati 10mins

Saucepan + frying pan

*Usually purchased Cassava 20-40mins
Potatoes 40mins

10
 Foods typically cooked at home
in Uganda

Boiled staples/veg
Matooke (Stewed)
Boil & stir Katogo
Rice
staples
Karo
Posho Pumpkin
Pilau

Heavy foods Hot drinks

Tea
Matooke (Steamed) Hot milk
Beans Stew
Meat Stew
Yams
Cow Peas Lighter
Groundnut Paste
stews
Fish stew

Shallow Fried Dishes

Fried eggs
Fried fish

Flatbreads Deep-fried dishes

Chapati Cassava
Pancakes Mandazi
Samosa

Roasted dishes
Muchomo
11
Roasted Meat
The Kitchen Lab
 CREEC's Kitchen Laboratory

This eCookBook presents findings from a set of Controlled Cooking

Tests (CCTs) carried out by CREEC in Kampala. CCTs involve selecting
a dish that is representative of local cooking practices and using a
standardised recipe to prepare the same dish in the same way using
different cooking fuels and devices.

CCTs enable us to compare the performance of different cooking

devices in terms of cooking time and fuel/energy consumption (and
therefore cost). We also compared the experience of the cook and
the quality of the finished dish by collecting feedback from the
cooks, making observations on how they operated the stoves and
tasting the food they cooked.

The CCTs were carried out by everyday cooks, who cooked each dish
as they would normally do so at home. Data was captured by a
research team with experience in stove testing. The full
methodology and findings from the CCTs can be found at
www.MECS.org.uk in the Cooking with Electricity in Uganda: Barriers
and Opportunities report.

Appliance/Fuel Comparisons
For each dish we compared the energy, time and cost readings using
four types of cooking devices: an electric pressure cooker, a hot plate,
LPG and a charcoal stove.
COST (UGX)

EPC Hotplate Charcoal LPG 13

 Dishes Tested

The testing focused on a range of staple Ugandan foods that are

regularly prepared at home. Three of the most time- and energy-
intensive dishes are presented in this eCookBook, as this is where the EPC
can offer the biggest savings.

Beef Stew
Stewing is a popular cooking method in Uganda,
where all ingredients are cooked together at the
same time in one pot. The ingredients are placed in at
different times as the sauce cooks and finally thickens.
Beef is one of the tougher meats cooked by Ugandan
households, so usually requires boiling for at least an
hour to soften

Bean Stew
A wide variety of dry beans are produced predominantly
in the Western and Northern regions. Depending on the
season, beans flow between Uganda and neighbouring
countries. Beans are cooked and served as a compliment
("sauce") to other staples

Matooke
With more than 30 ethnic groups, Uganda does not have a
single national dish that is universally eaten by all.
However, matooke, a green banana is popular among many
households, especially in the central and southern part of
the country. It is either boiled or steamed, then usually
mashed and cooked in or served with a sauce of peanuts,
beans, fresh fish or meat.

14
 Devices Compared
energy energy
Cooking device & utensil measurement unit
EPC equipment cost*
Tower
T16004 751**
1000W EPC
UGX/kWh
with 5L
non-stick
pot
Plug-in Meter

Hotplate
Logik LGK-002
2600W 751**
hotplate with
7l flat
UGX/kWh
bottomed
aluminium pot
Plug-in Meter
LPG
Single-burner
stove with 6 kg 9,500
cylinder, regulator UGX/kg
& hose with a 7l
flat bottomed
aluminum pot
Weighing scale

Charcoal
Locally
1,000
manufactured
ceramic stove UGX/kg
cooking power with
7l flat bottomed
aluminum pot Weighing scale

*Prices were recorded during the kitchen laboratory experiments, which took place in June/July 2020
**Electricity unit cost does not include 18% VAT, however with the introduction of the eCooking tariff (see p41) in Jan
2022, which offers a 44% discount for consumption between 80-100kWh/month, the cost to the consumer is likely to be
similar.
15
 The Inefficiencies of
Conventional Cooking
Conventional cooking techniques (heating an uninsulated pan
from below) waste energy through a variety of mechanisms,
creating opportunities for modern appliances to reduce energy
consumption.

Lower energy consumption = cheaper cooking.

Heat loss by evaporation

Slow cooking if lid not used
times with
unpressurised
pot
Heat loss via
radiation out the
sides of the pan

Heat loss via

convection up the
sides of the pan*

Heat levels
manually
controlled by
user

*For electric hotplates, the efficiency of heat transfer from the hotplate to the pot is highly
dependent upon the profile of the bottom of the pot, i.e. perfectly flat pots are most efficient 16
 The Electric Pressure Cooker

How does it save energy?

Electric Pressure Cookers combine insulation, pressurisation and
automation to deliver an extremely energy-efficient cooking service.

Insulation Pressurised lid

reduces heat lost by reduces cooking time &
convection up the sides of reduces evaporation
the pan & reduces
radiation from the sides
of the pan
Automation
turns off heating element
as soon as operating
pressure is reached

Why use it?

It is faster - pressure cookers raise the
temperature in the pot above boiling
point, which can cut boiling times in
half.

It is cheaper - saving energy means

saving money.

It is more convenient - the automated

cooking experience allows you to put
your feet up whilst the EPC takes care
of the cooking for you.

17
 EPC Safety Features
EPCs have multiple safety mechanisms, so even if one fails, there are several more there
to protect you. This means that they are actually one of the safest cooking appliances on
the market today. The most important safety mechanisms are:

pressure release
valve & locking pin

The pressure release valve avoids

pressure building above safe levels.
Pressure inside the pot pushes up the
locking pin, which means the EPC
cannot be opened when pressurised.

temperature
sensor
The temperature sensor at the bottom
of the device avoids overheating. It
automatically shuts off the power
when the pot reaches its normal
cooking temperature.

insulation &
sealing

The lid and walls of EPC's are well

insulated and the rubber sealing ring
makes sure steam cannot escape. This
prevents you from burning yourself if
you touch the pot whilst its cooking.

18
 How much of the Ugandan menu
can be cooked with an EPC?

We mapped out a typical weekly menu for a middle-class urban Ugandan

household and categorised the foods to work out which were most important:

Roasted dishes
Flatbreads e.g. muchomo Heavy
e.g. chapati 1x per week foods/long boil
3x per week e.g. beans
8x per week
Deep fried dishes
e.g. mandazi
5x per week
Lighter stews
e.g. fish stew
Shallow fried dishes 2x per week
e.g. fried eggs
2x per week

Hot drinks
e.g. tea
Boiled 11x per week
staples/veg
e.g. stewed
matooke
16x per week
Boil & stir
staples
e.g. posho
2x per week

= EPC is best choice for these dishes

= EPC likely to be used sometimes for dishes in these categories

= not possible to cook with an EPC The EPC is likely to be the

first choice for

+ = 82% = 20%
of dishes on this menu of this menu
can be cooked
using an EPC
19
 EPC Top Tips

boil, fry &

pressure cook!!

The EPC can do a lot more than just

pressure cooking. If you want to boil
or fry, simply leave the lid off and it
will be just like cooking with a normal
sauce pan.

reduce time &

water
Reduce the cooking time when
pressure cooking otherwise you'll
end up with mush! Use less water
or you'll end up with soup! When
the EPC is pressurised, no water
escapes, unlike a conventional pot,
where steam is evaporating
throughout the cooking process.

use non-abrasive
utensils
The cooking utensils must either be
plastic or wooden to protect the non-
stick coating; and cleaning should be
done with non-abrasive materials only

20
Stories from Kitchen
JIMMY ESTHER

LUCY

Three cooks participated in CREEC's cooking diary study and

appear as guest chefs in the Uganda eCookBook.
 Stories from the kitchen

JIMMY
BACHELOR

I was born and raised in the Western part of the country not connected to the
grid. Cooking is mainly done using firewood. I am so passionate about eCooking
as cooking with traditional appliances have posed a health hazard to myself.
The convenience and flexibility of using the EPC made me abandon the daily
routine of going to restaurants as I can prepare food myself in the shortest time
possible. When I start my own family, we will surely continue to use these time
and energy saving appliances.

Monthly Cooking Fuel

Expenditure How did you learn to cook?

UGX 85,000 I learned cooking at an early age of my childhood. We

were 3 boys and 1 girl. In a bid to not overload the girl
child, we were trained to do most of the household
chores, including cooking. I was always tasked to cook
different dishes, with my mother's guidance.
delivery
UGX 80,000 UGX 5,000 What value does eCooking add to your daily
cooking routine?
Cooking is simplified as I just set the time then concentrate
UGX 30,000 on other activities since there is no need for supervision
and fear of the food getting burned. Since the introduction
of eCooking, my charcoal stove was put aside and I also
purchased a small gas cylinder for standby in the cases of
blackouts.
UGX 30,000
Pays using mobile money 22
 Stories from the kitchen

ESTHER
Mother of two

I am the one who makes very delicious meals using the EPC. I stay in Seeta with my two
children. My inspiration comes from the fact that I cook to have the ones I serve
wanting more. I want to cook such that even my husband himself should easily leave
restaurant food and come home for my food.

How did you learn to cook?

Since I was young I have learnt and been taught cooking. Myself I
have also picked a few tips from observing how different people cook,
I find out from those I see cooking. Then I go and try out something
different from what I have observed.

How has your experience of cooking with the EPC been?

The EPC itself has also been instrumental in my cooking. For beans, the EPC saves me a lot of
time. With the charcoal stove, I could use up to three hours, where I have to keep monitoring and
adding water. With the EPC, I take less than half the time– cooking the beans (boiling) takes
about 45 minutes, while frying it takes about 30 minutes. A big advantage of the EPC is, once set
to its time limit, it stops automatically which allows you to attend to other responsibilities, and
does not require checking for water. You always find when the food is ready. Comparing the EPC
to the charcoal stove, I would suggest that we do away with the traditional charcoal stove.

23
 Stories from the kitchen

LUCY
MOTHER

I am a wife and a mother to a little princess, an accountant by profession and

marketeer, employed but also a vigilant businesswoman and a go-getter.

How did you learn to cook?

Monthly Fuel Expenditure

I had to cook at home growing up as a little girl and

UGX 130,000
we cooked both on the three stone fire and later
started using the charcoal stove.

What value does eCooking add to your

daily cooking routine?
UGX 65,000 I participated in one of the community studies at
CREEC and with the help of the team I learned and
enjoyed cooking with the EPC. Even though the study
ended, I continue to use it. I love adventuring
different dishes and ways of using it. Its versatility
and speed help me balance my work and family life.

24
 Myth Buster
Lucy Jimmy
Lucy has many concerns about cooking
with electricity and has a conversation
with Jimmy to help her get an idea of VS. So Jimmy will help to address some
of her concerns
the truth behind cooking with electricity.

Electricity is expensive
Energy-efficient
I believe cooking with electricity is
expensive and is for high income
appliances
earners who live uptown. Even if electricity is expensive,
cooking with it can still be cheap as
you only use a very small amount.
Modern energy-efficient appliances
such as the EPC use a fraction of the
electricity of a hotplate to cook the
same meal.

Electricity can shock

someone while cooking
I'm worried that cooking with Check your wiring
electricity isn't as safe or set up
safely. Lighting a fire is much more
dangerous than plugging in an
appliance. However, do make sure
the wiring in your house is strong
enough for cooking - if in doubt,
get it checked by an electrician.

Food cooked with electricity has

no taste
Electricity is not compatible with Try out our delicious EPC
Ugandan cuisine such as Matooke or recipes!
the cooking processes we use regularly.
The recipes in this eCookBook show how
you can make many of your favourite
foods with an EPC. All our recipes have
been taste tested and are just as
delicious as you would expect.

25
The Recipes
Meat
Stew
Jimmy's EPC Recipe

Energy Used 0.54 kWh Cook Time : 45 mins Servings : 8 portions

Ingredients : Procedure :
1 kg meat/beef STEP 1- Boil the meat
1 big onion Tenderize and cut meat into bitesize
2 cloves garlic pieces.
2 teaspoon Place the meat in the EPC pot, cover
cooking oil and set to pressure cook for 30
1l stock (or 2 minutes.
stock cubes / 1 Depressurise the EPC by opening the
teaspoon Royco steam valve.
and 1l water)
Bunch coat- STEP 2- Fry the sauce
meal/coriander Add oil and fry the boiled meat until its
1 green pepper brown using the sautee setting.
1 carrot (small) Chop the remaining ingredients and add
1 teaspoon salt
into the pot and continue frying until it
gives off a good flavour.

STEP 3- Simmer all together

Add the royco and simmer the mixture.
Pour in the water bring it to a boil.

27
 My inspiration comes from the ability to
multi task while cooking since I get to
have time to watch news to understand
what is going on in the world. Also, the
aspect of having to cook meat as in just
boiling it at once with the ingredients
and having to contain all the nutrients
and the aroma.

TIME COMPARISON

EPC Hotplate Charcoal LPG

45mins 1hr 55mins 1hr 30mins 60mins

The EPC is the fastest way to cook meat stew. It needs just half the time that it
normally takes to cook meat stew using charcoal

COST COMPARISON
1,500

1,500

1,000

1,000
Cost (UGX)

470 460

500

0
EPC Hotplate Charcoal LPG

Cooking meat stew with the EPC costs roughly the same as charcoal.
However, it is half the cost of the hotplate and one third the cost of LPG.
28
Esther's EPC Recipe

Bean
Stew
Energy Used: 0.50 kWh Cook Time: 70 mins Servings: 8 portions

Ingredients : Procedure :
STEP 1 - Boil the beans
1kg dry beans soaked Pour the beans into the EPC pot and add 2½
overnight cups of water.
2 onions Cover the EPC, set pressure valve in place and
set the cooking time to 45 minutes.
6 tomatoes
Release the pressure and uncover the EPC.
4 cloves garlic Empty the beans and rinse the pot in
1 green pepper preparation for frying.
1 bunch coat
meal/coriander STEP 2 - Fry the sauce
Prepare ingredients for the gravy
2 cubes Royco Peel & chop tomatoes, onions, garlic &
Paprika – 1/4tsp peppers. Chop coat meal/coriander into
Salt – 1tsp small pieces
Curry powder (“Tropical Pour the cooking oil into the pot & set the EPC
Heat”) – 1tsp to sautee mode.
After the oil heats up, pour in the onions & fry
Curry powder (“Simba until they start to brown.
mbili”) – 1tsp Add the spices & other ingredients then mix to
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp make gravy.
Water - 4 cups Mix Royco with 1½ cups of water & pour into
the pot with the cooked beans.
Mix everything together & leave to simmer for
10 minutes.

29
 The EPC has been very instrumental in
my cooking... [it] saves me a lot of
time. With the charcoal stove, I could
A big advantage is, once use up to three hours, where I have to
set to its time limit, it stops keep monitoring and keep adding
automatically, [which] allows you water. With the EPC, I take less than
to attend to other responsibilities, an hour.
and does not require checking for
water. You always find the food
ready.

TIME COMPARISON

EPC Hotplate Charcoal LPG

1hr 10mins 2 hrs 25mins 2 hrs 25mins 1 hrs 55mins

The EPC is the quickest way to cook beans. It is twice as fast as charcoal or the
electric hotplate and one third quicker than LPG.

COST COMPARISON
3,500
4,000

3,000

2,000 1,300
600
300
UGX

1,000

0
EPC Hotplate Charcoal LPG

The EPC is also the cheapest way to cook beans. It is half the cost of charocal,
one quarter that of the hotplate and less than one tenth that of LPG! 30
Lucy's EPC Recipe

Matooke
(steamed)

Energy Used: 0.34 kWh Cook Time: 54 mins Servings: 5 portions

Ingredients : Procedure :
Matooke (banana plantain); STEP 1- Prepare the matooke
1.5 Kg (14 fingers) Pour approx 1 cup water in the pan,
Banana leaves (for making sure it doesn't come above the
wrapping) bottom of the steaming rack).
Water for steaming (approx Peel the matooke
2 cups) Wash the matooke after peeling
Wash the banana leaves
Wrap the matooke in banana leaves

STEP 2 - Steam
Place the steamer stand in the EPC and
pour water.
Place the wrapped matooke in the EPC,
cover the EPC and set timer to pressure
cook for 30 minutes
After the 30 minutes, release the pressure
and uncover.

STEP 3 - Mash & steam again

Remove the matooke and press / mash
After pressing, add a little water (approx 1
cup again) into the EPC pot/pan.
Steam for 10 minutes with the lid closed
Serve and enjoy your meal

31
 Ensure the wrapped matooke fits nicely in the
EPC pot & allow a little space to close the cover.
Lucy's Amount of water used should be below the
top tips steaming stand.
for For a better output, put the matooke back into
the EPC after pressing to allow sufficient
matooke simmering time.
in the You can also just boil the matooke in the EPC
EPC and mash thereafter, or cook Katogo.

TIME COMPARISON
EPC Hotplate Charcoal LPG

54 mins 1hr 27mins 1hr 37mins 1hr 25mins

The EPC is the fastest way to cook matooke. It is roughly 50% faster than LPG,
charcoal or the hotplate.

COST COMPARISON
1921
2,000

1,500
799
UGX

1,000
476
257
500

0
EPC Hotplate Charcoal LPG

The EPC is the also the cheapest way to cook matooke. The cost
of cooking with the EPC is roughly half that of charcoal, cooking
with the hotplate is one third more expensive than the EPC and
LPG is seven times more expensive.
32
What else can
you cook in an
EPC?
It's also possible to prepare many other types of popular Ugandan
dishes in an EPC, although the energy and time savings are more
limited:
Boiled staples/veg - e.g. rice, katogo, matooke (stewed)
Boil & stir staples - e.g. posho
Shallow fried dishes - e.g. fried fish, gonja, fried egg, sukuma
wiki
Hot drinks - e.g. tea, hot milk

The following section shows how you can cook sukuma wiki and
posho in an EPC, as well as another less frequently cooked, but
perhaps even more exciting dish: sponge cake.

33
Posho

Cook Time: 25 mins Servings: 4 portions

Ingredients : Procedure :
5 cups of water STEP 1- Preheat water
3 cups of maize meal Add 3-4 cups of water in the EPC and bring
to a boil
TIP: if you want to multitask, close the
valve and set the timer to at least 2
minutes - when the timer goes off, open
the steam valve and release the
pressure.

STEP 2- Make a paste & pressure cook

Make a paste of 2 cups of maize meal with
1 cup of water and add the paste to the
boiling water in the EPC.
Stir continuously and then close the lid and
set the EPC to cook for 5 minutes at
pressure.
Open the steam valve to depressurise.

STEP 3-Simmer
Take off the lid and put the EPC on sautee
Typical costs: mode so that it keeps heating.
Add more maize meal slowly and stir
0.2kWh vigorously until thick enough.
Cover and simmer for around 10 minutes
150 UGX and then stir again.
Power off the EPC and serve.

34
Sponge
Cake
Cook Time: 90 mins Servings: 8 portions

Ingredients : Procedure :
Milk (1/2 ltr) STEP 1 - Mix the batter
Sugar (250g) Blend sugar and butter until mixture turns
cream.
Baking flour (500g) Add eggs and continue mixing.
Icing sugar (250g) Mix sieved baking flour with baking powder and
Butter (250g) add to the butter mixture.
Add flavoring and stir further to form a droopy
Flavoring, e.g. vanilla
soft texture.
essence (1 tea spoon)
Eggs (6) STEP 2 - Bake
Grease a well dried EPC pot with cooking oil.
Place the pot into the EPC, turn it on to pre-
heat the pot and pour the mixture into the hot
pot.
Close the EPC well and bake by closing the
pressure valve and setting the timer for 90
minutes.

STEP 3 - Let the cake cool

Let the pressure release naturally after the
timer goes off, then open the EPC and remove
the pot with the cake inside from the EPC.
Typical costs: Wait for the pot to cool before you can remove
0.56kWh cake from it.
Enjoy the cake if you do not want it iced, or wait
420 UGX for the cake to cool very well before you can ice
it.

35
Sukuma
wiki
Cook Time: 10 mins Servings: 4 portions

Ingredients : Procedure :
1 bunch kale or collard STEP 1- Wash and cut
greens
2 tomatoes Wash and cut the vegetables and pour
2 small onions some hot water on it to make it soft
Spices (1/2 tsp cayenne
pepper, 1 tbsp bouillon, STEP 2 - Fry
1/2 tsp black pepper)
Set the EPC on the preset sautee
2 tbsp oil (to fry)
function and add cooking oil in the pot.

When its heated, add the tomatoes,

onions, spices and some salt. Fry whilst
stirring for a few minutes to make
gravy.

Add the chopped greens and stir for

about 7-10 minutes.

Typical cost:
0.29 kWh
215 UGX

36
Clean Cooking & Electricity
Access in Uganda
 Electricity Access & Clean
Cooking in Uganda

Despite historically low electrification rates, cooking with electricity is now

becoming a viable and scalable option for Uganda. 24% of households now
have access to grid electricity and 27% have access to off-grid systems.
What is more, the Government of Uganda have recently set a target of
connecting 300,000 new customers to the grid each year over the next 5
years.

The total installed generation capacity doubled from 600 MW to 1,238 MW

between 2010 and 2020. This investment has helped to mitigate against the
country’s dependency on hydropower, which in 2005 led to significant,
drought-induced load shedding and power outages. Uganda today produces
an electricity surplus of almost double current demand and is proactively
stimulating demand for its predominantly renewable (92%) electricity.

eCooking Urban households

0 in 10
Electricity Access= 7 in 10 people

Using electricity as primary

cooking fuel= 0 in 10 people
(4%)
Rural households
Electricity Access= 3 in 10 people

Firewood Charcoal Using electricity as primary

7 in 10 2 in 10 cooking fuel= 0 in 10 people
(1%)

Urban Uganda presents a particularly attractive market for eCooking, as

electricity connectivity rates are higher, supply chains are shorter and
consumers are more familiar with modern appliances. Importantly, urban
people are more likely to be paying for their fuel than their rural
counterparts, which creates a more attractive business proposition, as this
existing expenditure can be more easily converted into electricity units and
repayments on a financed appliance.

38
 Cooking with polluting fuels in
urban Uganda

29%
of urban Ugandans
primarily use FIREWOOD
for cooking.
Uganda currently loses about 2% of its forest
annually, and firewood use is the second driver of
this, after land-clearing and agricultural expansion

Safety Difficult to put out after usage

Can be collected, but expensive

Cost in urban areas

Risk of respiratory disease due

Health
to household air pollution

Requires long time to light

Convenience and collect from forests

57%
of urban Ugandans
primarily use
CHARCOAL for cooking.

Intensive charcoal production is depleting forests

and the population is set to double by 2050.

Safety Difficult to put out after usage

Cost Becoming more expensive

Risk of Carbon Monoxide

Health poisioning due to improper usage

Convenience Requires long lighting time

Urban charcoal users are a particularly attractive market segment to target as they
have a guaranteed existing expenditure on a polluting fuel that could be repurposed to
electricity units.

2% of urban Ugandans
primarily use kerosene for
cooking. 39
 Cooking with modern energy
in urban Uganda

8%
of urban Ugandans primarily
use OTHER COOKING FUELS such
as LPG & BIOGAS

Risk of fire if user is not well

Safety trained on how to operate
equipment

Time
Cooks fast and saves time

Health No harmful smoke, however still

needs good ventilation

Refilling not convenient unless

Convenience
living near retail outlets or filling
stations

4%
of urban Ugandans
primarily use
ELECTRICITY for cooking

Safety No flames and EPC has insulated pot

This eCookBook shows that you can

Cost make big cost savings with an EPC

Health No harmful smoke

Modern efficient appliances enable

Convenience
multi-tasking & EPCs reduce cooking
times.

40
 Accelerating the uptake of
eCooking in Uganda

Enabling policy framework

Current usage of electricity for cooking is low in Uganda, however the government has
recently put in place an array of policies and targets to facilitate the transition to cooking
with clean, modern fuels.

The Draft Energy Policy (2019) made specific mention of energy-efficient eCooking
appliances, such as EPCs.

In December 2021 the Electricity Regulation Authority announced a new Cooking Tariff
which will be served by Umeme Ltd in an effort to encourage cooking with electricity for
domestic households and stimulate demand for their predominantly renewable electricity.

Lifeline tariff* Regular tariff Cooking Tariff Regular tariff

Units
<15 Units 16-80 Units 80-150 Units >150 Units

Ush. 250.0 Ush. 747.5 Ush. 412.0 Ush. 747.5

Price
per Unit per Unit per Unit per Unit

Consumer awareness
The evidence in this eCookBook can act as a valuable tool for raising awareness of the
benefits of adopting eCooking by tackling the widespread perception that electricity is too
expensive for cooking and that popular Ugandan dishes don't taste as good when cooked
with electricity.

Strengthening the supply chain

Tax exemptions (similar to the LPG VAT exemption in 2020) and Results Based Financing
(RBF) can incentivise appliance manufacturers and distributors to increase the availability
and affordability of energy-efficient appliances in the Ugandan market. Consumer
financing can break down the high upfront cost and enable consumers to utilise the savings
they will make each time they cook to pay back the cost of the appliance in manageable
repayments.

*Lifeline tariff is only accessible to customers whose total monthly consumption is below 100
units
41
 Energy Efficient Appliances

The EPC isn't the only energy-efficient appliance available on the market today. There is now
an array of eCooking appliances to choose from, each optimised for a particular cooking
process or processes.

All-rounders
Induction stove

Frying specialists
Electric frying pan, air fryer

Boiling and shallow frying

Electric pressure cooker

Boiling only
Kettle, rice cooker, slow cooker
Reheating
Microwave

Roasting
Halogen oven
42
 eCooking Appliance checklist

Whichever electric cooking appliance you're planning to purchase,

its important to think about the following considerations:

Will it mainly be used for frying or boiling (or both)?

Is it an insulated appliance, making it more efficient and

therefore cheaper to cook?

Does the appliance appear to be sturdy and durable? Is it

made of materials that are long-lasting?

Does the appliance come with a warranty, or has it passed

internationally-recognised safety standards?

Is the power rating of the appliance suitable for the quality

of the electricity supply?

Contact for EPC sales/purchases:

Tel: +256 757 102972 / +256 786 046418
Email: [email protected]

43
 Conclusion
The Kitchen Laboratory experiments in this eCookBook have shown that:

Cost-savings
Ugandan households could make substantial cost savings (up to 50%) on
dishes that require boiling or steaming for long periods by switching from
charcoal to an EPC. LPG is currently very expensive in Uganda and as a
result, the EPC is up to 10x cheaper.

Modern alternative
An EPC offers a modern alternative to the charcoal stove and is much more
affordable than LPG. It is capable of cooking most (~82%) of a typical
Ugandan weekly menu and is likely to be the first choice for around 20% of
the menu.

Convenience

Using an EPC is more convenient as it is fully automated so can be left

unattended, allowing the cook to multi-task. An EPC can cut cooking times
in half for dishes with a long boiling/steaming stage.

The evidence in this eCookBook shows that an EPC can offer a viable alternative
to charcoal, enabling households to make substantial cost and time savings,
whilst also switching to a clean fuel that minimises the impact of cooking on
health and the environment.

There is increasing interest in EPCs in Uganda amongst policy makers, the

private sector and consumers. With a supporting enabling environment, a strong
supply chain and greater consumer awareness in place, EPCs could enable
Uganda to transition away from charcoal and towards renewably-generated
electricity for cooking.

44