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Moni (millet dumpling porridge with tamarind)
Moni: Bamako's sweet-sour breakfast porridge of tiny millet balls
Bamako mornings, and especially Ramadan mornings before dawn, often start with a bowl of moni: tiny balls of millet flour rolled by hand and cooked in water until they turn plump and chewy in a smooth porridge. Tamarind gives it a clear sourness, sugar balances it, and some cooks add a squeeze of lemon or a little fresh ginger. It is thinner than tô and meant to be drunk from the bowl or eaten with a spoon. This version is vegan; some families stir in milk or soured milk at the table. Don't drop the dumplings into water that isn't boiling, or they dissolve into the porridge. Chef's tip: roll the balls small, no bigger than a chickpea, and let them dry on the tray for ten minutes before cooking so they hold together instead of dissolving.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- ½ cup waterfor rolling
- 1 ⅜ oz seedless tamarind pulp
- ¾ cup hot water
- 5 cups water
- 3 ⅛ oz sugaror to taste
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 1 ⅜ oz seedless tamarind pulp in ¾ cup hot water for 15 minutes, then squeeze and push through a sieve. Keep the tamarind water and discard the fibres.
15 minStep 2: Meanwhile, put 5 ½ oz gluten-free millet flour (150 g) in a wide bowl and sprinkle with ½ cup water a little at a time, rubbing in circles with your fingertips until it forms small pellets. Roll them between your palms into chickpea-sized balls.
15 minStep 3: Spread the balls on a tray and leave to dry a little.
10 minStep 4: Bring 5 cups water and 1 pinch salt to the boil, then drop in the balls and simmer over a medium heat, stirring gently, until they are plump and cooked through.
15 minStep 5: Mix the remaining 1 ¾ oz gluten-free millet flour with a little cold water to a slurry and stir it in to thicken the liquid. Simmer until the porridge is smooth and creamy.
5 minStep 6: Stir in the tamarind water, 3 ⅛ oz sugar and ½ tsp vanilla extract and simmer 2 more minutes. Taste: it should be pleasantly sweet-sour. Serve hot.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moni (millet dumpling porridge with tamarind) take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 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.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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