Hausa Koko with Koose

Ingredients

• 250g whole millet
• 1 litre water
• 4cm piece fresh ginger
• 6 cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 250g dried black-eyed beans
• 1/2 onion
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 2cm piece fresh ginger for the koose
• 3/4 tsp salt for the koose
• 600ml vegetable oil for frying
• sugar and evaporated milk, to serve

Before you cook

• Soak the millet in plenty of cold water overnight, then drain it.
• Blend the soaked millet with the ginger, cloves, peppercorns, chilli flakes and 600ml of water.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing hard, and discard the bran.
• Leave the strained liquid to settle for 2 hours, then pour off and keep the sour top water separately from the thick sediment.
• Soak the black-eyed beans for 2 hours, rub off the skins under running water and drain them.
• Blend the peeled beans with the half onion, the scotch bonnet and the second piece of ginger, using as little water as possible.

Steps

1. Whisk the millet sediment with the reserved sour water in a jug until it is completely lump-free.
2. Bring 400ml of water to the boil in a heavy pan.
3. Pour the millet slurry into the boiling water in a thin stream, whisking hard the whole way.
4. Cook the porridge over medium heat for 8 minutes, whisking, until it thickens and turns glossy.
5. Stir in the quarter teaspoon of salt and pull the pan off the heat.
6. Beat the bean paste with a wooden spoon for 4 minutes, until it lightens in colour and holds a soft peak.
7. Beat the koose salt into the bean paste.
8. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan to 175C.
9. Drop heaped tablespoons of the paste into the oil, leaving space between them.
10. Fry the koose for 3 minutes until the undersides are golden.
11. Turn them over and fry them for another 3 minutes.
12. Drain the koose on kitchen paper and fry the rest of the paste.
13. Pour the hot koko into bowls and sweeten it to taste with sugar and evaporated milk.
14. Serve the koose alongside for dipping.