Ingredients
Milk
- 2 litreswhole milk
- 4 tbspmtindi from a previous batch, as starter
The gourd
- a dried gourd (kibuyu), or a clean jar
- a small bundle of aromatic hardwood sticks, for smoking it
To serve
- ugali
- or drunk plain, cold
Directions
- Smoke the gourd first: burn the sticks to embers, drop them inside, cover the mouth and roll it so the smoke coats the whole inner wall. Leave ten minutes, tip out the embers and wipe away loose ash.
- The smoking is preservation, not flavouring. The phenolics left on the wall suppress spoilage organisms, which is how Maasai and Sukuma households keep milk safely in heat with no refrigeration — though the smoky taste that comes with it is now the taste people look for.
- Pour in the milk, add the starter, and stopper it loosely. Never seal it tight; the ferment produces gas.
- Leave it at warm room temperature for 24 to 36 hours, shaking or rolling it several times a day.
- It is ready when it has thickened to a pourable curd and tastes sharply sour, with a grey tinge and a clear smoky note.
- Shake it well before pouring, since it separates as it stands.
- Drink it cold, or pour it over ugali, which is how it is eaten across most of Tanzania.
- Keep four spoonfuls back for the next batch. A gourd in constant use eventually holds the culture in its wall and needs no starter at all.
Technique
- Smoke the gourd each time.
- Loose stopper. Gas has to get out.
- Grey tinge and smoke are correct, not spoilage.
Substitutions
- A glass jar smoked the same way over a tin of embers.
- Buttermilk or live yoghurt as the starter.
- Skipping the smoke entirely, which gives a plain soured milk — pleasant, but not mtindi.
Variations
- The Kenyan mursik and Sudanese roub are the same practice under other names.
- Churned to take off the butter, leaving a thinner drink.
History
Souring milk preserved it in the heat long before refrigeration; pastoral Maasai, Sukuma and Gogo households still keep it in gourds.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mtindi?
Mtindi is a cheese & dairy from Tanzania: thick soured milk eaten with ugali or drunk from a plastic cup. Souring milk preserved it in the heat long before refrigeration; pastoral Maasai, Sukuma and Gogo households still keep it in gourds.
How long does Mtindi take to make?
Mtindi takes 20 min plus 1 to 2 days souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 1.5 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Mtindi?
Yes, within limits. A glass jar smoked the same way over a tin of embers. Buttermilk or live yoghurt as the starter. Skipping the smoke entirely, which gives a plain soured milk — pleasant, but not mtindi.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mtindi?
Smoke the gourd first: burn the sticks to embers, drop them inside, cover the mouth and roll it so the smoke coats the whole inner wall. Leave ten minutes, tip out the embers and wipe away loose ash.
