Ingredients
Base
- 150 gsorghum flour, or 150 g ground toasted hazelnuts
- 1 litrewhole milk
- 150 mlwater
Sweetening
- 150 gsugar
- a pinch of salt
Flavour
- 1 tbsporange blossom water or rose water
- 1 tspvanilla, optional
To finish
- crushed hazelnuts, pistachios and almonds
- a little ground cinnamon
To serve
- warm in winter, in small bowls, from a bouza shop
Directions
- Whisk the sorghum flour into the cold water until completely smooth before any heat is involved. Never add dry flour to hot milk, which forms lumps that will not disperse.
- Whisk it thoroughly and pass it through a sieve. Sieving takes a minute and it is the difference between a smooth pudding and a lumpy one. Stir the slurry again immediately before use, since the flour settles fast.
- Bring the milk to a bare simmer with the sugar and salt. Do not let it boil hard, since milk boils over in seconds and it scorches on the base. Pour the slurry into the simmering milk slowly while whisking constantly.
- Whisk without stopping as it goes in, since it thickens unevenly at first and lumps form in seconds. Now the cooking, which needs constant attention. Cook it over a medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
- Stir without pause and scrape the base and the corners of the pan throughout. It needs at least twenty-five to thirty minutes of steady cooking after it has thickened.
- Stir in the orange blossom or rose water off the heat. Use them sparingly, since too much rose becomes soapy. Now the hazelnut version, if making it. Toast the hazelnuts and grind them as finely as possible, then whisk them into the milk.
- Grind them very fine, since coarse pieces sink and give a gritty pudding. It is very rich and a small portion is enough. Top it generously with crushed hazelnuts, pistachios and almonds. Dust it with a little ground cinnamon. It keeps two days refrigerated and sets firm, so warm it gently with a splash of milk.
Technique
- Tunisian bouza is a hot pudding, unlike the Levantine ice cream of the same name.
- The flour must be mixed into cold water before it meets hot milk.
- It needs half an hour of cooking to lose the raw sorghum taste.
Substitutions
- Ground toasted hazelnuts, for bouza bundok.
- Any fine sorghum or millet flour.
Variations
- Bouza bundok, made with hazelnuts.
- Served chilled rather than warm.
- Made with pistachio, which is a luxury version.
History
A winter pudding sold in specialist shops in Tunis; sorghum flour is cooked slowly with milk until it sets to a dense cream.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bouza?
Bouza is a dessert from Tunisia: thick sorghum or hazelnut cream pudding topped with crushed nuts. A winter pudding sold in specialist shops in Tunis; sorghum flour is cooked slowly with milk until it sets to a dense cream.
How long does Bouza take to make?
Bouza takes 10 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Bouza?
Yes, within limits. Ground toasted hazelnuts, for bouza bundok. Any fine sorghum or millet flour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bouza?
Whisk the sorghum flour into the cold water until completely smooth before any heat is involved. Never add dry flour to hot milk, which forms lumps that will not disperse.
