Ingredients
Millet
- 250 gmillet flour
- or 250 g whole millet, soaked and ground
- 2 litresclean drinking water
To flavour
- 5cm ginger, peeled
- 100 gtamarind pulp
- juice of 2 lemons
- 150 gsugar, or to taste
- a pinch of salt
Sometimes added
- a little grated nutmeg
- mint leaves
To serve
- ice
- a jug and cups
Directions
- Use clean drinking water throughout. Store it dry and use it within a few weeks. Rinse whole millet and soak it for four hours.
- Drain it and grind it wet into a smooth paste. Ready-made flour skips all of this. Put the tamarind pulp in a bowl. Pour over about 300 ml of warm water. Break it up with your fingers as it softens.
- Work it until the pulp separates from the fibres. Discard the seeds and stringy fibre. Peel the ginger and chop it roughly. Blend it with a cup of the water.
- Blend it until it is completely broken down. Strain it through a fine cloth. Squeeze the cloth hard to get all the juice. Discard the fibrous pulp left behind. Adjust the amount to your own taste. Put the millet flour into a large jug.
- Add a little water and whisk it to a smooth paste. Starting with a paste is what prevents lumps. Whisk continuously as you pour it in. Add the tamarind water and the ginger juice. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice. Add the sugar and the pinch of salt. Whisk until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Taste it and balance the flavours. It should be sour, sweet and clearly gingery. Adjust the sugar and lemon until it works. Cover the jug and refrigerate it. Give it at least two full hours.
- Stir it well before every pour. The millet settles hard and must be mixed back in. Pour it into cups over the ice.
Technique
- Moore is the language of the Mossi, the largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso, and the name simply describes the drink.
- Related millet drinks are made across the Sahel under different names.
Substitutions
- Fonio or sorghum flour can replace the millet and are used in some households.
- Bottled tamarind concentrate replaces the pulp and saves the soaking.
Variations
- Some versions leave out the tamarind and rely on lemon alone.
- A sweeter version is made for children.
- Adding a little baobab powder is common in some areas.
History
The name means flour water in Mooré; the millet, ginger and tamarind drink is offered to arriving guests and used to break the Ramadan fast.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zoom-koom?
Zoom-koom is a drink from Burkina Faso: millet-flour water with ginger, tamarind and lemon; welcome drink. The name means flour water in Mooré; the millet, ginger and tamarind drink is offered to arriving guests and used to break the Ramadan fast.
How long does Zoom-koom take to make?
Zoom-koom takes 20 minutes plus soaking of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes about 2 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Zoom-koom?
Yes, within limits. Fonio or sorghum flour can replace the millet and are used in some households. Bottled tamarind concentrate replaces the pulp and saves the soaking.
What is the most important thing to get right in Zoom-koom?
Stir it well before every pour. The millet settles hard and must be mixed back in. Pour it into cups over the ice.
