Local name: Lakh
Steamed millet couscous drowned in a peanut cream, eaten at breakfast or at the end of the day in Senegal.
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AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish
Lakh is also made with soured milk in place of the peanut. Both versions are served when people come in from the fields and the meal has to be quick.
An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.
The first steaming swells the grains but leaves clumps at the centre. Taking the millet out and fluffing it with a fork separates those grains so steam can reach everywhere on the second pass. Steaming once gives you firm lumps inside and soggy millet on top.
Loosen the peanut paste with just a splash of water first, working it smooth, then add the rest gradually. Poured in all at once, the water seizes the paste into pellets that never dissolve. Stir constantly through the ten minutes of simmering, as peanut catches on the base quickly.
It should coat the spoon without being stiff, since the millet keeps absorbing it in the bowl. If it thickens too much as it cools, loosen it with a little hot water before serving. Lakh is eaten warm, not piping hot.
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