Madida Dukhun

Ingredients

• 150g fine millet flour
• 900ml water
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 80g pitted dates
• 60ml sesame oil
• 0.5 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
• 200ml whole milk
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Before you cook

• Blitz or pound the dates with 4 tablespoons of hot water to a thick paste
• Whisk the millet flour with 300ml of the cold water in a bowl until completely smooth with no lumps
• Measure the remaining 600ml water into a heavy saucepan

Steps

1. Bring the 600ml of water to the boil in the heavy saucepan with the salt.
2. Pour the millet slurry into the boiling water in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
3. Bring the porridge back to a bare simmer, whisking all the time so it cannot catch.
4. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook the porridge for 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes with a wooden spoon.
5. Check that the porridge coats the spoon thickly and has lost any raw floury taste.
6. Stir in the date paste until it dissolves completely.
7. Pour in the milk and stir until the porridge loosens to the thickness of pouring cream.
8. Add the cardamom and cinnamon and stir for 1 minute more.
9. Trickle in the sesame oil and beat it through so the porridge turns glossy.
10. Ladle the madida into warm bowls and scatter the toasted sesame seeds over the top.