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Boeber (Cape Malay vermicelli and sago milk pudding)
Warm, thick spiced milk of vermicelli and sago with cardamom and rose water
In Cape Town's Cape Malay homes, the fifteenth night of Ramadan is Boeber night, when big pots of this warm, sweet milk are cooked and shared with neighbours and the mosque after the fast is broken. It also turns up on cold winter evenings. Boeber is halfway between a drink and a pudding: toasted vermicelli and pearls of sago swim in milk spiced with cardamom and cinnamon, scented with rose water and finished with almonds and sultanas. It is creamy, fragrant and thick enough to need a spoon. Serve it hot in mugs or bowls. Boeber has never needed egg; the sago pearls release their starch as they cook and thicken the milk, while a little butter gives it a rich finish. Chef's tip: toast the vermicelli in the butter until golden before any milk goes in, for a nutty flavour; the common mistake is to stop stirring once the sago goes in, and it sinks and sticks to the base of the pot.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅝ oz sago pearls
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 2 ⅛ oz fine wheat vermicellibroken into 3 cm pieces
- 5 green cardamom podslightly crushed
- 5 cups full-fat milk
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1 oz flaked almonds (optional)toasted
- 1 ⅜ oz sultanas (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 1 ⅝ oz sago pearls in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain.
30 minStep 2: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a large heavy pot over a medium heat. Add 2 ⅛ oz fine wheat vermicelli, 1 cinnamon stick and 5 green cardamom pods and stir for 3–4 minutes, until the vermicelli is golden and smells toasty.
4 minStep 3: Pour in 5 cups full-fat milk, add the drained sago and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring.
8 minStep 4: Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping the base, until the sago pearls are completely clear and the milk has thickened to a pouring custard.
15 minStep 5: Stir in 3 ½ oz sugar until dissolved, then take off the heat and add 1 tbsp rose water.
2 minStep 6: Remove the cinnamon and cardamom pods, stir in 1 ⅜ oz sultanas and serve hot, topped with 1 oz flaked almonds.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boeber (Cape Malay vermicelli and sago milk pudding) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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