AI-generated image
Thiakry
Senegalese millet couscous in sweet vanilla yoghurt (dégué)
Thiakry, called dégué in Mali and Burkina Faso, is the creamy dessert of Senegalese weddings, naming ceremonies and Tabaski: pellets of steamed millet stirred into sweetened yoghurt and soft fromage frais, scented with vanilla and nutmeg and served cold. Ready-made millet granules (arraw or sankhal) are sold in African grocers, which makes it a 15-minute job. Raisins and a little coconut are common in Dakar. Chef's tip: steam or soak the millet fully before it meets the yoghurt; undercooked grains stay hard and gritty in the cold.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the millet
For the cream
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 7 oz pre-steamed millet granules (arraw) in a heatproof bowl, pour over 1 cup boiling water, stir, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Steam it over simmering water for 5 minutes more if the grains still feel hard when you bite one.
15 minStep 2: Rub ⅔ oz butter through the warm millet with a fork so every grain is separate. Leave to cool.
Step 3: Whisk 1 ⅛ lb plain yoghurt, 7 oz fromage frais or quark, ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and ¼ tsp nutmeg until smooth. Taste; it should be sweet and tangy.
Step 4: Fold in the cooled millet and 1 ⅜ oz raisins. Common mistake: adding hot millet, which thins and splits the yoghurt.
Step 5: Chill for at least 1 hour; the grains swell and the cream thickens. Serve very cold in small glasses.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does thiakry take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of plain yoghurt?
- Greek yoghurt loosened with a little milk.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Custard sauce
Proper pouring custard made the easy way with custard powder. It's thick, smooth and lightly sweet, just right with apple pie, crumbles, fruit salad and trifle. Serve it warm, or chill it for trifles.
Chocolate sauce
A thick, glossy chocolate sauce made from store-cupboard cocoa and milk, ready in under 10 minutes. Pour it hot over vanilla ice cream, or let it cool and spread it on cakes and puddings.