Hulu mur

Ingredients

The batter

• 1 kgsorghum flour
• about 1.5 litres water
• 200 gfermented starter
• or a piece of an old batch

Spices

• 3 tablespoonsground fenugreek
• 3 tablespoonsground ginger
• 2 tablespoonsground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoonsground cloves
• 2 tablespoonsground fennel
• 2 tablespoonsground cardamom
• 1 tablespoonground black pepper
• 1 tablespoonground coriander
• 2 tablespoonsdried hibiscus, ground
• 1 tablespoonground nutmeg

To make the drink

• 2 sheetsof dried hulu mur
• 1.5 litreswater
• sugar, to taste
• juice of 1 lemon

To serve

• plenty of ice
• dates
• at iftar

Directions

1. Put the sorghum flour in a very large bowl. Add the water gradually while stirring. Work it into a smooth thin batter. It should pour easily from a spoon. Add the starter and stir it through. Fermenting it takes a day or two.
2. Cover the bowl over with a cloth. Leave it somewhere warm to work. Give it at least twenty-four hours. Stir all the ground spices into the batter. Mix them through very thoroughly. Let it stand for another two hours.
3. Heat a large flat griddle or plate. Get the plate hot but never smoking. Grease the plate very lightly. Pour a ladle of batter onto it. Spread it as thin as you possibly can.
4. Use a flat spreader or the back of a ladle. Each sheet must be paper thin. Let it cook until the edges lift. Give it about three full minutes. Peel it off carefully in one piece. Set it aside to cool and dry further. Lay the cooked sheets out flat. Let them dry in the sun or in a warm room. Give them several hours at least.
5. Stack the brittle sheets carefully. Keep them in a cloth bag or a tin. Keep them somewhere completely dry. They keep for many months that way. Break two sheets into a large bowl. Pour all of the water over them. Let them soak for about thirty minutes. Work them with your hands to break them up.
6. Pour it all through a fine sieve. Press the solids against the mesh. Strain it twice for a smoother drink. Discard the solids left behind. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves. Squeeze in all of the lemon juice.
7. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. It should be sweet, sour and spiced together. Stir it well before you pour it. Fill glasses with plenty of ice. Pour the hulu mur over the ice. It keeps three days refrigerated. Stir it each time before pouring.

Technique

• The drink is made in both Sudan and South Sudan, which were one country until South Sudan became independent in July twenty eleven; it was already established across both, so the atlas lists it under each country as the same drink rather than two recipes.
• Hulu mur means sweet and bitter, and the name describes the flavour exactly: fermentation gives the sourness, the spices the bitterness and added sugar the sweetness.
• The sheets must be spread paper thin, since thick sheets do not dry properly and go mouldy in storage while thin ones dry brittle and keep for months, which is the entire logic of the method.

Substitutions

• A piece of a previous batch works as the starter where none is available.
• Ready-made hulu mur sheets are sold in Sudanese shops and need only soaking.

Variations

• Every family has its own guarded spice proportions.
• Some households ferment for two days for a sharper drink.
• The same drink is called hulu-murr in Sudan.

History

Sorghum batter is spiced, fermented and dried into thin sheets, then soaked to make the drink families break the Ramadan fast with.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hulu mur?

Hulu mur is a drink from South Sudan: spiced fermented sorghum flakes dissolved in water into a fragrant cold drink. Sorghum batter is spiced, fermented and dried into thin sheets, then soaked to make the drink families break the Ramadan fast with.

How long does Hulu mur take to make?

Hulu mur takes 1 hour plus fermenting and drying of preparation and 2 hours of cooking. The recipe makes about 20 sheets. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Hulu mur?

Yes, within limits. A piece of a previous batch works as the starter where none is available. Ready-made hulu mur sheets are sold in Sudanese shops and need only soaking.

What is the most important thing to get right in Hulu mur?

Heat a large flat griddle or plate. Get the plate hot but never smoking. Grease the plate very lightly. Pour a ladle of batter onto it. Spread it as thin as you possibly can.