Paper-thin sorghum crepes with rich okra and lamb stew. The daily staple of Sudanese home cooking.
Ingredients
300g sorghum flour
1 tbsp plain yoghurt (for fermentation starter)
Water for batter (about 3 cups)
300g lamb leg, cut into cubes
2 large onions, finely diced
2 cups fresh okra, sliced into rounds
3 tbsp dried okra powder
2 tbsp groundnut paste (peanut butter)
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Instructions
1The evening before, combine the sorghum flour with three cups of water and the yoghurt in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth, cover with a cloth, and leave at room temperature overnight to ferment. The batter should smell slightly tangy by morning.
2Heat a flat griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat and brush lightly with oil. Pour a thin ladle of the fermented batter onto the hot surface and quickly spread it into a paper-thin circular crepe using the back of the ladle.
3Cook each kisra for sixty to ninety seconds on one side only until the surface sets and the edges begin to lift. Carefully peel off and stack on a plate, repeating until all the batter is used. Cover to keep the crepes pliable.
4For the mulah stew, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb cubes and brown them on all sides for five minutes, then add the diced onions and cook until softened and golden.
5Stir in the ground cumin, dried okra powder, and groundnut paste, cooking for two minutes until fragrant. Add enough water to cover the meat generously, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for forty minutes.
6Add the sliced fresh okra to the stew during the last ten minutes of cooking, stirring gently to incorporate. The stew should thicken considerably as the okra releases its natural mucilage and the groundnut paste enriches the broth.
7Check the lamb for tenderness and adjust the seasoning with salt. Arrange the kisra crepes on a large communal platter, overlapping them slightly, then ladle the thick mulah stew generously over the centre of the bread.
8Serve the kisra and mulah together, tearing pieces of the crepe and using them to scoop up the rich meat and okra stew. Diners traditionally eat from the same platter using their right hands.
Did You Know?
Making perfect kisra requires a special flat cooking stone and years of practice.