Okavango Explorers Camp Recipe: Granny’s Fermented Sorghum Pudding

By Chef Siyakhepi Moemedi known to everyone as Siya

The sound of her wooden spoon scraping the clay pot was my signal to wake up; it meant the sorghum pudding was brewing again.

Her hands moved with calm certainty. She never hurried the process because, as she always said, “Real flavour takes its time, just like people do.” The fermented sorghum mixture sat covered with a clean cloth for days, breathing quietly, alive with the rhythm of patience and care.

When the time came, Granny stirred it slowly, adding water from the old calabash and whispering blessings. The smell was earthy and slightly sweet like rain on dry soil after a long wait. I used to stand beside her, watching bubbles form as the pudding simmered, asking a hundred questions.

She’d smile, her eyes twinkling.

“The pudding remembers,” she’d say. “It remembers the hands that planted the seed, the sun that warmed it, and the people who’ll share it.”
When we finally sat down, she’d scoop it into bowls, warm, tangy, and honest. Each spoonful tasted like family itself: strong, humble, and full of love. Even now, years later, I can still taste it whenever I close my eyes. But it’s not just the food I remember, it’s the way she made time feel slower, the way home felt fuller when her sorghum pudding was on the fire.

Fermented sorghum pudding recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups sour milk (madila)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 cup medium grain sorghum (mabele)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup evaporated milk

Instructions

1. Flavour the milk. Place the milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a medium saucepan. Heat on high and watch carefully. Just before the milk mixture boils, remove from the heat. Cool completely and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight so that the flavors develop and intensify (if you don’t have time, you can proceed from here).
2. Reduce the milk. Remove the milk mixture from the fridge and stir in the sorghum, sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil on high heat, then turn down the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
3. Continue to stir and simmer until the sorghum is fully cooked. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring regularly. If the mixture begins to look dry, add a little water (2 tablespoons or so at a time). The mixture should be moist, and the sorghum should be tender but maintain a little bite (not mushy).
4. Chill the sorghum pudding. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and evaporated milk. Carefully spoon out the cinnamon sticks and cloves, then transfer to small serving bowls or jars. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
5. Serve. When ready, add more evaporated milk to each bowl to loosen the rice pudding, if you find that it has hardened in the fridge. Serve cold, with madila ice cream, pinch of ground cinnamon, drizzle of honey, and spoonful of crushed vanilla biscuits. Enjoy!

Sour Milk Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups sour milk (or amasi / kefir / buttermilk)
• 1 cup fresh cream (heavy or whipping cream)
• ½ cup sugar (adjust to your taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, to enhance the tang)
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

• Chill your ingredients
  • Make sure your sour milk and cream are cold. This helps with the texture later.
• Mix it up
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sour milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
• If you want it more tangy, add the lemon juice and mix again until smooth.
• Taste test
  • Taste the mixture it should be slightly tart, creamy, and sweet enough to your liking.
• Freeze (no machine method)
  • Pour the mixture into a shallow dish or metal pan.
  • Freeze for 45 minutes. Then stir with a fork or whisk to break up ice crystals.
  • Return to freezer. Repeat every 30–40 minutes for about 3 hours, until smooth and firm. (If you have an ice cream maker, churn for about 20–25 minutes instead.)
• Serve
  • Scoop and serve lightly frozen — it tastes best when it’s still a little soft and creamy.
  • Try topping it with honey, toasted nuts, or chopped fruit (especially peaches or berries).