Burkina Faso - Lemon Porridge with Peanut Sauce

Background
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa with a predominantly agricultural economy. According to the World Cookbook for Students, the major foodstuffs are maize, sorghum, and millet, with chilies and peppers used as condiments. Meals are eaten in the morning and upon returning from work. Three meals a day is more common for wealthier families.
For breakfast we chose millet porridge flavored with lemon juice, from the World Cookbook for Students. The lemon juice substitutes for fermenting the millet flour, a process we have done before for corn-based porridges. The porridge is then cooled, sliced and topped with a thick sauce made of spinach and peanut butter, from the Holidays of the World Cookbook for Students.
Millet is a form of grass but it does not fit nicely into a single scientific grouping. Rather it is a functional category of crops made up of small seeded grains which are usually grown in drought-prone areas.

Lemon Porridge

• 2 cups millet flour (may substitute fine white cornmeal)
• 4 cups cold water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup water, for cooking

1. Mix the flour into the cold water using a whisk.
2. Add the lemon juice and let the batter stand for 15 minutes.
3. Bring the other cup of water to a boil.
4. Stir in the batter using a wooden spoon, continuing to stir the porridge until it is smooth, thick, and stiff.
5. Pour the porridge into a greased mold or loaf pan and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Africans Greens in Peanut Sauce

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 lb frozen spinach, thawed.
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add peppers and onions, and cook until onions are soft.
3. Add spinach and tomato, and cook until spinach is wilted (or heated through if frozen).
4. Stir in peanut butter and serve.

Results and Discussion
The porridge had a strong lemon flavor. While fermenting gives a subtle sour taste that lingers in the background, the lemon juice brings the flavor to the front and dominates the dish. It is not necessarily a bad result, but it is a poor substitute for the flavor that comes form the fermentation process.
The peanut sauce had a nice flavor and its coarser texture goes well with the smoother porridge. The Holidays of the World Cookbook suggests serving it over rice which would make a nice lunch or dinner meal.