{{Short description|Traditional Ugandan sauce}}{{Infobox food | name = Dek Ngor | type = Sauce | place_of_origin = Northern Uganda | region = Lango and West Nile in Uganda | name_lang = Acholi | minor_ingredient = Moo Yaa (Shea Butter) aka (Moo Yao, moya).<br /> Magadi (rock salt aka Sodium bicarbonate) | main_ingredient = Lapena (Pigeon peas aka Yellow split peas).<br /> Odi (Sim sim paste or Peanut butter).<br /> Table salt | course = Main course | associated_cuisine = Kwon Kal (millet bread), Layata (sweet potatoes), Ugali, boiled Cassava | image = Dek Ngoo.jpg | alt = Dek Ngor | alternate_name = Dek Ngoo, Dek Ngor Lapena, Dek-ngor, Agira }}

'''Dek Ngor''' also known as '''(Dek Ngor Lapena''', '''Dek-ngor, Dek Ngoo, Agira)''' is a traditional Ugandan sauce that is made from Lapena (pigeon peas) and it originates from Northern Uganda among the Acholi people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2020-09-14 |title=Dek-ngor, traditional sauce that also works as food on its own |url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/special-reports/uganda-50/dek-ngor-traditional-sauce-that-also-works-as-food-on-its-own-1515754 |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Monitor |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lamun |first=Irene |date=2023-03-01 |title=Uganda. Acholi Marriage. Not before Sunset. |url=https://www.southworld.net/uganda-acholi-marriage-not-before-sunset/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220132804/https://www.southworld.net/uganda-acholi-marriage-not-before-sunset/ |archive-date=2024-02-20 |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=South World}}</ref> It is also eaten in Lango and West Nile regions of Uganda.<ref name=":0" />

== Ingredients ==

=== Major ingredients ===

* Lapena (Pigeon peas aka Yellow split peas)<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Nkwonta |first1=Chikere G. |last2=Auma |first2=Carolyn I. |last3=Gong |first3=Yunyun |date=2023 |title=Underutilised food crops for improving food security and nutrition health in Nigeria and Uganda—a review |journal=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |volume=7 |doi=10.3389/fsufs.2023.1126020 |doi-access=free |issn=2571-581X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What to eat Uganda? culinary specialties and gastronomy |url=https://www.petitfute.co.uk/p195-ouganda/gastronomie/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=www.petitfute.co.uk}}</ref> * Odi (Sim sim paste or Peanut butter) * Table salt

=== Optional ingredients ===

* Moo Yaa (Shea Butter) aka (Moo Yao, moya).<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Okema |first=David |date=2023-09-18 |title=The Green Gold of Acholi: Locals form cooperatives to conserve the "Wonder Shea Tree" |url=https://dailyexpress.co.ug/2023/09/18/the-green-gold-of-acholi-locals-form-cooperatives-to-conserve-the-wonder-shea-tree/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Daily Express |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> * Magadi (rock salt aka Sodium bicarbonate)

== Preparation == Lapena (dry pigeon peas) are soaked in warm water for 20 minutes. The peas are removed from the water, and sun dried for about 10 minutes. The dried lapena are ground to split the seeds into two. After grinding, winnowing is carried out to remove the peas covers.<ref name=":0" /> The already split yellow peas can also be used to skip the grinding and winnowing to boiling of the peas.

After winnowing, the split peas are boiled in water until they soften. During the boiling, Magadi is or can be added to speed up the boiling process of the peas. An Ogwec (a mingling stick) is used to stir and mash the peas until they turn to a thick creamy paste. The salt is added to the thick creamy paste. The creamy paste is mixed with simsim paste or peanut butter (to improve the taste, the aroma and also the thickness of the paste). Moo-yaa can be added but it is optional.<ref name=":2" /> The resulting sauce is called '''Dek-ngor'''.<ref name=":0" />

== Serving == Dek Ngor is served at traditional functions such as marriages, baptism, family reunions, naming of new born babies and also in restaurants. It has to be served to the in-laws from the wife's side when they visit the family into which their daughter married.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

Dek ngor can be eaten without any additional foods or it can be served with Kwon Kal (millet bread), Layata (sweet potatoes), Ugali, Cassava among other foods .<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />

== See also ==

* Sombe * Eshabwe * Malewa * Kikomando

== External links ==

*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zvpuEcD24I&ab_channel=AmunaFoods Amuna Foods: How To Make 'Dek Ngor Lapena' Yellow Split Peas Soup | Classic Acholi Recipe in Northern Uganda]

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Ugandan cuisine Category:National dishes Category:Pigeon pea dishes Category:Sesame dishes Category:Peanut dishes