Boko Boko — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A hearty porridge of cracked wheat simmered with shredded beef until the grains are swollen and tender, enriched with butter and spiced with cumin. This sustaining dish from northern Chad is especially popular during Ramadan.

Ingredients

300g cracked wheat (bulgur)
400g beef, in one piece
2 onions, diced
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1.5 liters water
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

1 Place the beef piece in a pot with water, one diced onion, salt, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer for one hour until meat is very tender.
2 Remove the meat and shred finely with two forks. Reserve the flavorful cooking broth.
3 Add cracked wheat to the reserved broth. Cook over low heat for thirty minutes, stirring frequently, until the wheat is very soft and porridge-like.
4 In a small pan, melt butter and saute the remaining diced onion with cumin and cinnamon until golden and fragrant.
5 Add shredded meat and the spiced butter-onion mixture to the wheat porridge. Stir thoroughly to combine everything.
6 Cook together for ten more minutes until thick and cohesive. Serve hot in bowls, with extra butter melted on top.

Did You Know?

During Ramadan in N'Djamena, boko boko is one of the first foods eaten at iftar because the combination of wheat and meat provides sustained energy after a full day of fasting.