VePa-Mix - The Tasty Alternative to Royco
A Clean, Nutritious, and Flavorful Local Seasoning Mix
If you live in Uganda, one ingredient that shows up in almost every kitchen is Royco — the local version of Maggi. It’s added to vegetables, stews, beans, meats, sauces… everything. It makes seasoning easy, which is why everyone uses it.
The problem is: we don’t actually know what’s inside.
Most of these mixes contain preservatives, food coloring, artificial flavors, and large amounts of salt. So at BODY&SOIL, we decided to create our own healthy version of “Royco.” We’re calling ours “VePa-Mix,” from two words put together: vegetable and paste. In ours, we get to choose the ingredients, the flavor, and the nutritional value.
The result?
A deeply tasty spice blend that works in vegetables, soups, beans, stews, sauces — and even your upcoming Christmas dishes. Since we began making it, everyone keeps saying how delicious the food has become. Because we add cassava starch, this mix also helps thicken sauces naturally.
The BODY&SOIL chefs preparing our VePa-Mix in our energy saving kitchen.
This recipe was developed together with our BODY&SOIL chefs and Samuel Nyanzi, Director of RUCID College and an expert in food drying and preservation. With him, we also designed our solar dryer — one that preserves nutrients instead of destroying them. It reduces food waste, turns local crops into long-lasting ingredients, and keeps full flavor and nutrition.
You can learn how to build your own simple, affordable solar dryer on our YouTube channel. Here is the link.
Using an Oven Instead of a Solar Dryer
If you don’t have a solar dryer, an oven works well for small batches.
Low temperature: Set to 50–60°C (or the lowest setting).
Airflow: Keep the oven door slightly open so moisture can escape.
Use racks: Place ingredients on a baking sheet or wire rack.
Turn pieces: Rotate trays every 1–2 hours.
Monitor: Ovens dry faster than solar dryers, so check often.
Solar dryers are still more efficient, nutrient-friendly, and perfect for larger quantities.
Bonny and Clinton using our DIY solar dryer to dry the VePa-Mix ingredients.
Why Spices Matter for Your Health
Spices and herbs are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. They are packed with phytonutrients — plant chemicals that feed your good bacteria, protect your cells, and support immunity.
Adding spices to your meals does more than flavor your food:
They boost immune health
They support your gut microbiome
They count toward your 30 different plants a week (as researched by ZOE)
They increase the diversity of fibers and colors your body needs
They help your good bacteria thrive
So this recipe is not just good for your taste buds, but good for the taste buds of your good bacteria too! And there’s something more: People love this blend so much that we see real potential for it to become a marketable product — something that can strengthen livelihoods and support local farmers.
A diet rich in spices and colors promotes gut health and strengthens the immune system.
Ingredients
3 medium onions, finely chopped and pounded
2 bulbs garlic, chopped and pounded
5 medium tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped and pounded
3 pieces fresh ginger, peeled and pounded
1 cassava tuber or 3 tablespoons ready-made cassava starch
3 pieces turmeric, peeled and pounded
1 handful of local mushrooms from your area
1 small hot chili pepper
1 tablespoon salt
Method
Step 1: Make the Cassava Starch
Peel and wash your cassava.
Grate it and place it in a bowl of clean water.
Massage it in the water for 5 minutes.
Lift out the grated cassava and squeeze out excess water — the starch stays in the water.
Let the water sit until the starch settles at the bottom.
Continue with the next steps as the starch separates.
Step 2: Prepare and Pound Each Ingredient
(Optional: If you prefer, use an electric blender instead of pounding in the steps below.)
Pound the onions and garlic separately and spread them on your drying tray.
Slice and pound the tomatoes; add them to the tray.
Peel, slice, and pound the ginger and turmeric; add to the tray.
Step 3: Prepare the Mushrooms
Soak local mushrooms briefly to remove dirt.
Drain, pound, and add them to the drying tray.
Step 4: Dry the Cassava Starch
Pour off the water and keep the settled starch aside to dry.
Dried Cassava Starch.
Step 5: Dehydrate Everything
Place all your prepared ingredients onto the drying tray and put them in your solar dryer.
Dry for 2–3 days, depending on the sun.
Check every day to mix, make sure nothing burns, and ensure even drying.
Step 6: Grind and Mix
Blend each dried ingredient separately into a fine powder (a mortar and pestle works too, just slower).
Place all powders in a clean, airtight container.
Add:
2 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp garlic
1 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp cassava starch
2 tbsp tomato powder
1 tbsp mushroom powder
2 tbsp onion powder
½ tsp chili
1 level tbsp salt
Mixing all the dried spices together to form your own VePa-Mix.
This makes around one 270 ml jar of your own VePa-Mix.
Multiply the amounts for larger batches.
Try & Share With Us
Give it a try and tell us how your vegetables, soups, and sauces taste with this new homemade VePa-Mix blend.
If you have questions, drop them in the comments and we’ll get back to you.
Thank you and Merry Christmas!