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Kunun zaki (millet and ginger drink)
Kunun zaki: northern Nigeria's sweet, tangy millet drink spiced with ginger and cloves
Chilled kunun zaki is what people reach for in the heat of Kano and Kaduna afternoons, and at Ramadan iftar it is one of the first things poured. Millet is soaked, ground with fresh ginger and cloves, then partly cooked; the uncooked portion stirred back in sweetens the drink naturally and gives it a light, refreshing tang. It is creamy-looking but thin, spicy at the back of the throat and best ice cold. Pouring boiling water over all the slurry is the classic mistake, since it stops the natural sweetening, so always keep a third raw. Chef's tip: start a day ahead (12 hours soaking, 4–6 hours resting) and strain twice through a fine cloth for a silky drink with no grit.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz millet grainsor half millet, half sorghum
- 1 ¾ oz fresh gingerpeeled, sliced
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 8 ¼ cups waterplus water for soaking
- 3 ½ oz sugarto taste
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 10 ½ oz millet grains, cover with plenty of cold water and soak for 12 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
Step 2: Blend the millet with 1 ¾ oz fresh ginger, 1 tsp whole cloves and 600 ml of the 8 ¼ cups water for 3–4 minutes, until very smooth.
4 minStep 3: Pour a third of the paste into a separate bowl and set it aside raw. Put the other two-thirds in a large heatproof bowl.
1 minStep 4: Bring the remaining water to a rolling boil and pour it over the larger portion, stirring hard, until it thickens into a smooth, translucent gruel.
10 minStep 5: Leave until just warm to the touch, about 104°F, then stir in the raw portion. Cover and leave at room temperature for 4–6 hours; it will thin out and taste slightly sweet and tangy.
Step 6: Strain through a fine cloth or nut-milk bag, squeezing well, then strain once more. Stir in 3 ½ oz sugar until dissolved.
10 minStep 7: Chill for at least 1 hour and serve very cold. Keep in the fridge and drink within 2 days; it gets sourer as it sits.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kunun zaki (millet and ginger drink) take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of whole cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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