Ingredients
Base
- 400 gdried tiger nuts, atadwe
- 1.2 litrescold water, for blending
- water, for soaking
To flavour
- 6dates, pitted
- or 100 g sugar, to taste
- 3cm ginger, peeled, optional
- 1 teaspoonvanilla, optional
- a pinch of salt
Sometimes added
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
- a little coconut milk
To serve
- ice
- bottles or plastic cups
Directions
- Brown, yellow and black varieties all exist. They should be firm and smell faintly sweet. Discard any that are shrivelled or smell musty. Soaking them is essential and takes a long time. Rinse the dried tiger nuts thoroughly in cold water. Rub them between your hands as you rinse. Put them in a large bowl and cover them deeply with water.
- Leave them to soak for at least twenty-four hours. Forty-eight hours gives a much better result. Keep the bowl in the refrigerator in warm weather. Drain the soaked tiger nuts and rinse them again.
- Put them in a blender with about half the fresh water. Add the dates and the ginger if you are using them. Blend on the highest speed for a full three minutes. Stop and scrape the sides down partway through. Add the rest of the water and blend it again. A weak blender will need several longer batches.
- Line a sieve with muslin or a clean thin cloth. Set it over a large jug and pour the slurry through. Let it drip through under its own weight for a few minutes. Keep squeezing until the pulp inside is almost dry.
- Strain it a second time through fresh cloth if it feels gritty. Discard the pulp or dry it and use it as a flour. Add the sugar if you did not use dates. Stir until it has completely dissolved. Add the vanilla and the pinch of salt. Salt is a small amount but it lifts the whole drink. Add a pinch of cinnamon if you like.
- Taste it and adjust the sweetness. It should be creamy but still drink easily. Add water if it is too thick to drink comfortably. Cover the jug and refrigerate it for several hours. It is always drunk extremely cold.
- Stir or shake it thoroughly before every pour. Pour it over ice into glasses or cups. It keeps three days in the refrigerator. Discard it if it starts to taste sour or fizzy.
Technique
- The tiger nut is a tuber rather than a nut, which is worth knowing though anyone with allergies should still check their own tolerance.
- The same tuber is the base of Spanish horchata de chufa, which is made in Valencia by a closely related method.
Substitutions
- Sugar can replace the dates entirely for a simpler drink.
- Ready-made tiger nut flour can be used, though the texture is noticeably different.
Variations
- Some vendors add coconut milk for a richer drink.
- A version with plenty of fresh ginger is common in Ghana.
- Horchata de chufa in Valencia is the same base with sugar and cinnamon.
History
Tiger nuts, a Sahelian tuber, are soaked and ground; Ghanaian vendors sell the strained milk chilled, often spiced with dates or ginger.
Frequently asked questions
What is Atadwe milk?
Atadwe milk is a drink from Ghana: creamy sweet milk pressed from soaked tiger nuts. Tiger nuts, a Sahelian tuber, are soaked and ground; Ghanaian vendors sell the strained milk chilled, often spiced with dates or ginger.
How long does Atadwe milk take to make?
Atadwe milk takes 20 minutes plus soaking of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes about 1.5 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Atadwe milk?
Yes, within limits. Sugar can replace the dates entirely for a simpler drink. Ready-made tiger nut flour can be used, though the texture is noticeably different.
What is the most important thing to get right in Atadwe milk?
Strain it a second time through fresh cloth if it feels gritty. Discard the pulp or dry it and use it as a flour. Add the sugar if you did not use dates. Stir until it has completely dissolved. Add the vanilla and the pinch of salt. Salt is a small amount but it lifts the whole drink. Add a pinch of cinnamon if you like.
