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Hilu-mur (Sudanese spiced sorghum Ramadan drink)
Hilu-mur: 'sweet and bitter', a spiced drink soaked from paper-thin flakes of sprouted sorghum, made for Ramadan
Weeks before Ramadan, households across Sudan fill with the smell of hilu-mur, literally 'sweet-bitter', as sorghum is sprouted, dried, ground and mixed with flour, dates and a heady spice blend, left to sour for a day, then spread paper-thin on a hot griddle into brittle reddish-brown flakes. Each evening during the month a handful is soaked in water, strained and sweetened, giving the dark, tangy, clove-and-ginger-scented drink that breaks the fast. The souring is short, like a sourdough, and the flakes are cooked dry; the drink is non-alcoholic and served to the whole family. The full process takes about 5 days: 3 days to sprout, 1 to dry and a night to sour, so only active and cooking time are in the totals. Many people buy ready-made flakes from Sudanese shops. Discard any grain that smells musty or shows mould while sprouting. The usual mistake is pouring the batter too thick on the griddle; the flakes should be paper-thin to dry crisp. Chef's tip: spread the batter as thinly as you can; thick flakes stay chewy and go mouldy in storage.
- Total time
- 210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the sprouted sorghum
- 1 ⅛ lb whole red sorghum grainrinsed
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb sorghum flour
- 5 ½ oz soft pitted datessoaked and mashed
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 5 cups warm waterabout; enough for a pourable batter
To make each jug of drink
- 3 ½ oz hilu-mur flakesmade above, or bought
- 4 ¼ cups cold waterfiltered
- 3 ½ oz sugarto taste
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What you'll need
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Days 1–3, sprouting: soak the 1 ⅛ lb whole red sorghum grain in cool water for 12 hours, then drain, spread on a damp cloth in a tray and cover with another damp cloth. Rinse and drain twice a day until the grains show shoots about 1 cm long, usually 2–3 days.
Step 2: Day 4, drying: spread the sprouted grain on trays and dry in the oven at its lowest setting (about 122°F) with the door ajar for 4–6 hours, or in a warm, airy room, until bone-dry and crunchy. Grind to a fine flour.
Step 3: Mix the sprouted flour with the 1 ⅛ lb sorghum flour, 5 ½ oz soft pitted dates, 2 tbsp ground ginger, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground cloves, 2 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground fenugreek and 1 tsp ground nutmeg. Gradually beat in the 5 cups warm water to a smooth batter like thin pancake batter.
15 minStep 4: Cover and leave at warm room temperature overnight, 12–18 hours, until it smells pleasantly sour and shows small bubbles.
Step 5: Heat a large flat griddle or non-stick pan over a medium heat. Pour on a ladle of batter and spread it immediately with a flat spatula or the edge of a plate into a sheet as thin as paper.
1 minStep 6: Cook for 1–2 minutes without turning, until the sheet is dry, dark and lifts away at the edges. Peel it off and lay it on a rack. Repeat with the rest, oiling nothing; the pan should stay dry.
110 minStep 7: Break the sheets into flakes and leave to air for a few hours until completely brittle. Store in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
Step 8: To serve, soak the 3 ½ oz hilu-mur flakes in the 4 ¼ cups cold water for 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge), rub to break them up, then strain through a fine sieve. Stir in the 3 ½ oz sugar and serve chilled at iftar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hilu-mur (Sudanese spiced sorghum Ramadan drink) take?
- About 210 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ground ginger?
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger per ¼ tsp ground.
- What can I use instead of ground cinnamon?
- A cinnamon stick, ground: about ½ tsp per stick.
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