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Tabaldi (Sudanese baobab drink)
Tabaldi: a chilled, creamy-tart drink of baobab pulp soaked in water and sweetened, from Kordofan
The great baobab trees of Kordofan and Darfur drop hard pods full of chalky, cream-coloured pulp, and Sudanese cooks soak it in water to make tabaldi, a thick, milky-looking drink with a sherbet-like tang. It is sold from big cool-boxes in Khartoum markets in summer, served at weddings, and appears on the iftar table during Ramadan. Fresh pulp pieces with seeds are sold in African and Middle Eastern shops; baobab powder is a good substitute and needs no straining. Leave the drink to soak for an hour in the fridge before straining (soaking time is not counted in the total). The usual mistake is blending the seeds, which makes the drink bitter; rub the pulp off by hand instead. Chef's tip: a few drops of rose water or a pinch of ground cardamom makes it feel festive.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 9 oz baobab pulp pieceswith seeds; or 100 g baobab powder
- 6 ¼ cups cold waterboiled and cooled, or filtered
- 3 ½ oz sugarto taste
- 1 tsp rose water (optional)
- 12 ice cubes (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put the 9 oz baobab pulp pieces in a large bowl with half the 6 ¼ cups cold water. Leave in the fridge for 1 hour so the pulp softens.
Step 2: With clean hands, squeeze and rub the pulp off the seeds into the water for 5 minutes, until the liquid is thick and creamy and the seeds are bare. Do not blend the seeds.
5 minStep 3: Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing on the pulp. Add the rest of the water to the seeds, rub again and strain once more. Discard the seeds.
Step 4: Stir in the 3 ½ oz sugar until dissolved and the 1 tsp rose water if using. Chill and serve over 12 ice cubes. Keeps 2 days in the fridge; stir before pouring.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tabaldi (Sudanese baobab drink) take?
- About 20 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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