Malian · side
Millet Tô (Stiff Millet Porridge)
Millet Tô (Stiff Millet Porridge) reads sourness 6.2, sweetness 4.6 and citrus 3.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Malian side, about 34 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.2 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 5.6 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 7.4 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 4.7 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 0.8 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Sourness 6.2 · Sweetness 4.6 · Citrus 3.9 · Umami 3.9 · Salinity 3.7 · Nutty 3.7 · Richness 3.4 · Fruity 3.1 · Earthy 1.0 · Bitterness 0.8 · Herbaceous 0.8
What's in it (10)
- millet flour — 400 g
- water — 1200 g
- tamarind paste — 15 g
- water — 60 g
- salt — 3 g
- peanut oil — 14 g
- millet flour — 60 g
- cold water — 250 g
- food-grade potash — 1 g
- dried baobab leaf powder — 10 g
Time & effort: about 34 min · effort: medium
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 4.3 kcal, 0.1 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 0.2 g carbs
Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (7 steps)
- Whisk the 60 g of millet flour into the 250 ml of cold water until there are no lumps, about 2 minutes. Slaking the flour cold is the only reliable way to keep the to smooth.
- Bring the 1.2 litres of water to a boil with the strained tamarind water and the salt, about 6 minutes. The tamarind is what gives to its faint sourness and keeps it from tasting flat.
- Pour in the cold slurry, whisking, and cook 5 minutes until it thickens into a thin gruel.
- Rain in the 400 g of millet flour in three additions, working each one in with a strong wooden paddle pressed against the side of the pot, 12 minutes in all, until the mass is stiff enough to hold the shape of the paddle and pulls cleanly from the sides.
- Stir in the potash and the baobab leaf powder, 1 minute; the lalo makes the to slippery and easier to swallow, which is how it is eaten in Segou.
- Cover and steam over low heat 8 minutes to cook out any remaining raw flour taste.
- Oil a bowl, pack the to into it, swirl it to a smooth dome and turn it out. Serve with an okra or baobab-leaf sauce.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Panellets de Pinyons — Spanish · Catalonia
- Torta di Nocciole delle Langhe — Italian · Piedmont
- Curry Chicken Salad — American
- Tarta de Santiago — Spanish · Galicia
- Kuih Seri Muka (Glutinous Rice with Pandan Custard) — Malaysian
Keep reading: what sourness, sweetness, citrus mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.