Ingredients
Porridge
- 400 gwhite maize flour or sorghum flour
- 1.2 litreswater
- 1 teaspoonsalt
To serve, choose one or more
- warm milk
- subag, Somali clarified butter
- sesame oil, macsaro
- sugar, for a sweet bowl
- a meat or vegetable stew
Equipment
- a heavy pot
- a sturdy wooden spoon or paddle
Directions
- Use finely milled flour rather than coarse polenta grind. Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil in a heavy pot. A thin pot will catch and scorch the porridge.
- Set aside a mug of the boiling water before you start. You may need it to loosen the porridge later. Take about a quarter of the flour to begin with. Rain it into the boiling water in a thin steady stream.
- Whisk or stir hard the whole time you are pouring. Let that first addition boil for two or three minutes. Stir vigorously after each one before adding the next. The mixture becomes too heavy for a whisk very quickly.
- Turn the heat down to low once all the flour is in. Press the porridge against the side of the pot and fold it over.
- Keep pressing and folding for about ten minutes. The porridge pulls away cleanly from the pot when it is ready. Add a splash of the reserved water if it becomes too stiff.
- Work that water in fully before deciding to add more. Wet a bowl with cold water so the porridge does not stick. Scoop the hot soor into the bowl and press it down. Turn it out onto a plate as a smooth mound. Make a deep hollow in the top with the back of a spoon.
- Pour warm milk into that hollow for the classic breakfast. Eating it is done with the right hand in many households. Pinch off a piece and dip it into the milk or the stew. Soor is eaten hot and stiffens hard as it cools. Stir it as it warms to bring it back to a soft mass.
Technique
- Soor overlaps with several regional names for the same idea.
- It is called soor in Somali, and closely resembles ugali in East Africa and asida in Sudan.
- The Somali version served with milk and clarified butter for breakfast is the one most people describe.
Substitutions
- Fine polenta can substitute for maize flour but needs longer cooking and more stirring.
- Millet flour is used in some households and gives a darker bowl.
Variations
- Soor iyo caano is the version served with milk.
- A sweet version stirs sugar into the porridge itself.
- In the south it is very often served under a stew of goat, camel or vegetables.
History
The staple of Somalia’s agricultural riverine south, where sorghum and maize grow along the Shabelle and Jubba rivers.
Frequently asked questions
What is Soor?
Soor is a main from Somalia: stiff maize or sorghum porridge, eaten with milk, ghee or stew. The staple of Somalia’s agricultural riverine south, where sorghum and maize grow along the Shabelle and Jubba rivers.
How long does Soor take to make?
Soor takes 5 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Soor?
Yes, within limits. Fine polenta can substitute for maize flour but needs longer cooking and more stirring. Millet flour is used in some households and gives a darker bowl.
What is the most important thing to get right in Soor?
Use finely milled flour rather than coarse polenta grind. Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil in a heavy pot. A thin pot will catch and scorch the porridge.
