Ingredients
Soured milk
- 2 litreswhole milk
- 4 tbsplive chambiko or plain yoghurt, as starter
To serve
- nsima — stiff maize porridge, hot
- sugar or a pinch of salt
Directions
- Warm the milk to about 30°C (86°F) and stir in the starter until evenly mixed.
- Pour into a gourd, a clay pot or a jar and cover with a cloth rather than a lid so the gas can escape.
- Leave at warm room temperature for 24 to 48 hours until it has thickened and tastes properly sour.
- Stir it smooth. Chambiko is drunk and poured rather than spooned, so it should stay loose rather than setting like a yoghurt.
- Chill thoroughly before serving.
- Serve cold, poured over hot nsima so it half melts into the porridge, or drunk from a cup with a little sugar.
- Keep four spoonfuls back to start the next batch — a gourd used continuously carries its own culture and eventually needs no starter at all.
Technique
- Cover with cloth, not a sealed lid. Trapped gas forces the curd apart unevenly.
- Two days is usually the limit. Past that it goes bitter rather than sour.
- The bottled chambiko sold in Malawian markets is the same thing made with a standardised culture.
Substitutions
- Buttermilk as the starter, which is closer in character than yoghurt.
- Reconstituted powdered milk, which is widely used and sours perfectly well.
Variations
- Drained through cloth it thickens into a spread.
- The Kenyan maziwa lala and Zimbabwean lacto are the same preparation.
History
Left to sour in a gourd by Malawian herding families, and sold in bottles at markets in the Central Region.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chambiko?
Chambiko is a cheese & dairy from Malawi: sour fermented milk drunk plain or poured over nsima. Left to sour in a gourd by Malawian herding families, and sold in bottles at markets in the Central Region.
How long does Chambiko take to make?
Chambiko takes 10 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 Chambiko?
Yes, within limits. Buttermilk as the starter, which is closer in character than yoghurt. Reconstituted powdered milk, which is widely used and sours perfectly well.
What is the most important thing to get right in Chambiko?
Pour into a gourd, a clay pot or a jar and cover with a cloth rather than a lid so the gas can escape.
