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Nigerian Lafun

Name: Nigerian Lafun
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups (8.8 ounces; 250g) lafun flour (see note); 4 cups (960ml) boiling water, divided, plus more as needed

A slightly sweet and sour swallow made with fermented cassava flour that's served alongside soups and stews.

25 min total 5 min prep 20 min cook 4 100 cal

Ingredients

4 serv.

2 1/2 cups (8.8 ounces; 250g) lafun flour (see note)
4 cups (960ml) boiling water, divided, plus more as needed

Instructions

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1 Using a fine mesh strainer, sift lafun flour into a 3-quart saucier or saucepan; discard any fibrous matter left in the strainer. Add 2 cups (480ml) boiling water and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well combined and a rough dough has formed, about 2 minutes.
2 Set saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook, stirring and scraping bottom in a circular motion, until no lumps remain, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup (240ml) boiling water and stir until dough changes from creamy and opaque to more translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
3 Reduce heat to low. Spread dough roughly across bottom of saucepan, poke 3 or 4 1-inch-wide holes in it with a wooden spoon, and pour remaining 1 cup (240ml) boiling water on top of dough. Immediately cover and cook until most, if not all, of the water is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
4 Uncover and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until lafun is soft yet firm, smooth, and stretchy, about 3 minutes (it should not be runny or sticky). If it’s too loose, add sifted lafun flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until lafun is desired consistency. If it’s too firm, add boiling water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until lafun is desired consistency.
5 To serve, dip a spoon into water and scoop 1/2 cup portions onto individual plates or bowls. Serve lafun immediately with Nigerian soups like egusi .