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Motoho
Motoho: Lesotho's smooth, gently soured sorghum porridge for breakfast
Highland mornings in Lesotho can be bitterly cold, and a mug or bowl of warm motoho, thin enough to sip and pleasantly tangy, is how many Basotho families in Maseru and the mountain villages start the day. Sorghum meal is mixed with warm water and a spoonful of starter from the last batch, left overnight by the stove to sour, then cooked into a smooth, pourable porridge with a yoghurt-like tang and a nutty, toasty flavour. Some sweeten it with sugar; others drink it plain with bread. If you have no starter, make one two days ahead with sorghum and water, as below. Chef's tip: keep the ferment warm but not hot; a pot left right on the stove gets too sour and too thin, so a spot nearby is perfect.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the starter (only if you don't have one from a previous batch)
- 3 tbsp fine sorghum meal
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
For the motoho
- 5 ½ oz fine sorghum meal
- 2 cups lukewarm waterabout 35 °C
- 2 cups boiling water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar (optional)to serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Two days before, if you have no starter from an earlier batch: stir the 3 tbsp fine sorghum meal and ¼ cup lukewarm water together in a clean jar, cover loosely and leave somewhere warm until bubbly with a clean, sour smell, about 48 hours. If it smells rotten or grows mould, throw it away and start again.
Step 2: The night before, mix the 5 ½ oz fine sorghum meal and 2 cups lukewarm water in a bowl until smooth, then stir in the starter. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm spot (25–86°F, near but not on the stove) for 12–16 hours, until it smells pleasantly sour and small bubbles show on top.
Step 3: In the morning, stir the soured mixture well and take out 2 tablespoons to keep, covered in the fridge, as the starter for next time.
Step 4: Bring the 2 cups boiling water to a rolling boil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat with the ¼ tsp salt.
2 minStep 5: Pour in the soured sorghum in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a smooth cream with no lumps.
3 minStep 6: Turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the porridge is glossy, coats the spoon thinly and no longer tastes raw.
15 minStep 7: Serve hot in bowls or mugs, loosened with a splash of hot water if you like it thinner, with 2 tbsp sugar for those who want it.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does motoho take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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