Aseeda (Sudanese Sorghum Porridge Dumpling)
Local name: عصيدة
In short: A smooth, stiff dumpling of sorghum flour stirred in boiling water, served in a bowl ringed with mulah stew. Sudan's most traditional everyday meal. It takes about 30 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 190 kcal
Aseeda is the dish at the center of Sudanese home cooking. Sorghum flour is stirred into boiling water and beaten into a smooth, stiff dough, shaped into a dome in a bowl and ringed with a stew called mulah. Diners cut off pieces with a spoon or their fingers and dip them into the sauce. It has a mild, slightly sour taste that sets off rich, salty stews, and it is served for lunch, for the evening meal and during Ramadan.
Instructions
- Whisk the sorghum flour with 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) of cold water until completely smooth, with no lumps.
- Bring the remaining 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) of water and the salt to a boil in a heavy pot. Lower the heat to medium and pour in the flour mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a sturdy wooden spoon.
- Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, beating and pressing the dough against the side of the pot, until it is very thick, smooth, glossy and pulls away from the pot. Add a splash of hot water if it turns too stiff to stir.
- Oil a deep bowl. Scoop the hot dough into it, wet your hand and spin the bowl to shape the dough into a smooth dome.
- Turn the aseeda out onto a wide, shallow dish. Make a shallow well in the center and ladle mulah stew into the well and around the dough. Serve at once.
Tips
- For the traditional sour taste, stir the flour and cold water together and leave them covered at room temperature overnight before cooking. A spoonful of leftover dough speeds the fermentation.
- Fine wheat flour gives a lighter, paler aseeda and is common in Sudanese homes too. The method is the same.
Questions and answers
How do you eat aseeda?
Cut or pinch off a piece, dip it into the mulah stew and eat it without chewing too long. It is meant to carry sauce rather than stand alone.
Is aseeda gluten-free?
Yes, when made only with sorghum flour. Check the label, since some sorghum flour is milled in facilities that also handle wheat.
Can I make aseeda ahead of time?
It is best fresh and hot. Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge and can be sliced and steamed or fried until crisp at the edges.
How long does it take to make Aseeda (Sudanese Sorghum Porridge Dumpling)?
About 30 min in total: 10 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Aseeda (Sudanese Sorghum Porridge Dumpling)?
About 190 kcal per serving, with 5 g of protein, 36 g of carbohydrates and 3 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 190 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Fat | 3 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 190 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
