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Millet Porridge

Also known as Millet Porridge (Tuwon Hatsi)

Tuwon Hatsi is a traditional Hausa millet grain porridge — not the swallow version (Tuwon Dawa) but a wet, porridge-consistency preparation of the same grain. Cooked as a thick, savoury or sweet porridge, Tuwon Hatsi is a morning meal, a weaning food for infants and a nourishing daily staple across Northern Nigeria.

Millet Porridge, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 2 big cups of pearl millet flour
  • 5 glasses of water FOR SAVOURY VERSION:
  • 1 tablespoon of dawadawa
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 2 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 cooking spoons of groundnut oil FOR SWEET VERSION:
  • Sugar or honey to taste
  • Nono (Fulani fermented milk) or yoghurt for serving

Method

  1. 01

    Mixing the Slurry. In a bowl, mix the millet flour with 2 glasses of cold water until completely smooth and lump-free.

  2. 02

    Boiling. Bring 3 glasses of water to a full boil. Pour in the millet slurry while stirring continuously. The porridge will thicken rapidly.

  3. 03

    For Savoury Version. In a separate pan, heat groundnut oil. Add dawadawa and fry 1 minute. Add blended Atarodo and fry 5 minutes. Add ground crayfish and seasoning. Pour this fried base into the millet porridge and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes.

  4. 04

    For Sweet Version. Simply cook the millet porridge to desired consistency, sweeten with sugar or honey and serve with cold Nono poured over.

  5. 05

    Serving. Serve hot in deep bowls. Consistency can be thin (like a drink) or thick (like porridge) — adjust by adding more or less water.

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