Making ubugali looks simple but takes practice. The cook brings water to a boil, sprinkles in the flour bit by bit, and stirs constantly. As it thickens, the cook needs a strong arm - the dough becomes heavy and almost springs back against the spoon. A few minutes later, the ubugali is poured onto a plate and shaped into a soft mound.
Most Rwandan families eat ubugali with their hands. You pinch off a small piece, roll it gently between your fingers into a little ball, and use it to scoop up the stew or sauce on the side. Different parts of Rwanda have favourite side dishes - in some areas, it is a sauce of beans and vegetables; in others, a hot fish stew with greens.
Almost every country has a 'staple' food - the thing that fills your tummy and keeps you going. In Italy it is pasta. In Mexico it is tortillas. In Japan it is rice. In Rwanda it is ubugali. The side dishes change from day to day; the ubugali is almost always there.
Ubugali is closely related to similar foods in many other African countries. In Kenya and Tanzania it is called ugali. In west Africa it is sometimes called fufu. The shape, colour and flavour change a little from country to country, but the idea is the same - a soft block of cooked grain that holds the rest of the meal together.