~163 cal · 5g protein · 37g carbs · 1g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Thin sour sorghum porridge in a mug
🇱🇸 Maseru
High in the Maloti Mountains, motoho wa mabele is the everyday breakfast of the Basotho: sorghum meal soured overnight, then cooked into a light, drinkable porridge. Its clean tartness is refreshing in the thin mountain air, and it is poured as much as it is spooned.
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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1 cup sorghum meal (mabele)
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6 cups water
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2 tbsp sugar, to taste
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1 pinch pinch of salt
Instructions
1
The night before, stir the sorghum meal into 2 cups warm water, cover, and leave to sour overnight.
2
Bring the remaining 4 cups water to a boil with the salt in a heavy pot.
3
Whisk the soured sorghum smooth and pour it into the boiling water, stirring constantly to keep it lump-free.
4
Simmer 15 minutes until lightly thickened, sweeten to taste, and serve warm and pourable.
Maloti mountain Basotho households.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Maseru. A mountain-kingdom capital of papa and stew.
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Lesotho. A mountain kingdom of papa and slow-cooked stews.
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Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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