Ingredients
Soured milk
- 2 litreswhole milk
- 4 tbsplive soured milk or plain yoghurt, as starter
To serve
- ugali, hot
- a pinch of salt, or sugar
Directions
- Warm the milk to about 30°C (86°F) — barely warm. The Swahili name means sleeping milk, and the traditional method is simply to leave fresh milk somewhere warm and let it sour on its own.
- Stir in the starter, which makes it far more reliable than leaving it to whatever happens to be in the air.
- Pour into a gourd, a clay pot or a jar and cover with a cloth rather than a lid so gas can escape.
- Leave at warm room temperature for 24 to 48 hours until it has thickened and tastes properly sour. In Nairobi heat this takes a day; in a cool kitchen, two.
- Stir it smooth — maziwa lala is drunk and poured rather than spooned, so it should stay loose.
- Chill thoroughly before serving. It thickens a little in the cold.
- Pour over hot ugali so it half melts into it, or drink cold with a pinch of salt or a spoonful of sugar.
- Keep four spoonfuls back to start the next batch.
Technique
- Cover with cloth, not a lid. A sealed jar traps gas and the milk separates unevenly.
- Two days is usually the limit. Beyond that it goes past sour into bitter.
- The commercial cartons sold as mala are the same thing made with a standardised culture.
Substitutions
- Buttermilk as a starter, which is closer in character than yoghurt.
- Goat’s milk, which sours faster and comes out sharper.
Variations
- Mursik is the same ferment in a charcoal-lined gourd, which makes it smoky and grey.
- Drained through cloth it thickens into a spread.
History
The Swahili name means sleeping milk; letting milk sour was the practical way to keep it before refrigeration reached rural Kenya.
Frequently asked questions
What is Maziwa lala?
Maziwa lala is a cheese & dairy from Kenya: naturally soured milk poured over ugali or drunk cold and thick. The Swahili name means sleeping milk; letting milk sour was the practical way to keep it before refrigeration reached rural Kenya.
How long does Maziwa lala take to make?
Maziwa lala takes 10 min plus 1 to 2 days souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes 2 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Maziwa lala?
Yes, within limits. Buttermilk as a starter, which is closer in character than yoghurt. Goat’s milk, which sours faster and comes out sharper.
What is the most important thing to get right in Maziwa lala?
Pour into a gourd, a clay pot or a jar and cover with a cloth rather than a lid so gas can escape.
