flipFura da nono — millet dumplings in fermented milk
Fura da nono — millet dumplings in fermented milk
Why this dish? Cow's milk (nono), according to the source, supplemented the diet of the Zazzau court. Crushed into the fermented milk of Fulani herds on the savannah, spiced millet dumplings provide this refreshing nourishment offered to visitors and taken to the fields.
Small dumplings of cooked millet, perfumed with ginger and clove, crushed into tangy curdled milk. Halfway between a drink and a meal, cool and refreshing.
You come from afar, your throat dry from the dust of the plateau? Sit down. Here is the fura that my women roll in the hollow of their hands, and the nono that the Fulani shepherds bring me in their calabashes. Crush the ball in the milk, stir with the stick until everything is mixed, and drink slowly. A little clove, a hint of ginger — and you are restored. At Bakwa's house, no traveler has ever left without drinking.
- •Cooked millet pounded into dumplings (fura) — a few balls (cereal base)
- •Fermented cow's milk (nono) — a calabash (tangy liquid)
- •Pounded ginger, clove — a pinch (flavoring)
- •Wild honey (optional) — a drizzle (sweetness)
Fura da nono — millet dumplings in fermented milk
Small dumplings of cooked millet, perfumed with ginger and clove, crushed into tangy curdled milk. Halfway between a drink and a meal, cool and refreshing.
Why this dish? Cow's milk (nono), according to the source, supplemented the diet of the Zazzau court. Crushed into the fermented milk of Fulani herds on the savannah, spiced millet dumplings provide this refreshing nourishment offered to visitors and taken to the fields.
You come from afar, your throat dry from the dust of the plateau? Sit down. Here is the fura that my women roll in the hollow of their hands, and the nono that the Fulani shepherds bring me in their calabashes. Crush the ball in the milk, stir with the stick until everything is mixed, and drink slowly. A little clove, a hint of ginger — and you are restored. At Bakwa's house, no traveler has ever left without drinking.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cooked millet pounded into dumplings (fura) — a few balls (cereal base)
- Fermented cow's milk (nono) — a calabash (tangy liquid)
- Pounded ginger, clove — a pinch (flavoring)
- Wild honey (optional) — a drizzle (sweetness)
Ingredients
- Millet flour — 200 g (fura dumplings)
- Ground ginger — 1/2 tsp (flavoring)
- Ground clove — 1 pinch (flavoring)
- Fermented milk / drinkable yogurt (nono) — 500 ml (tangy liquid)
- Honey — to taste (optional) (sweetness)
Method
- Mix millet flour with ginger and clove, add enough hot water to form a firm dough.
- Shape into small balls and poach in simmering water for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
- Pound or crush the still-warm balls to soften them (a little cooking water helps).
- Stir the crushed dumplings into the fermented milk until a thick, drinkable consistency.
- Sweeten with a drizzle of honey if desired; serve well chilled in a calabash or bowl.
How it was made : Fura da nono is one of the oldest Hausa and Fulani Sahelian drink-meals: fura preserved and transported cooked millet, nono made use of the milk from transhumant herds. Sugar was unknown, so only wild honey could add sweetness.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a tall glass with fura dumplings visible at the bottom like pearls, milk poured over, and a grating of fresh ginger: a characterful 'Sahelian lassi'.
Bakwa Turunku · Charactorium
