My neighbour's kitchen: Sweetened semolina (kuindiong)

Aloung Marang cooks a traditional dessert typically prepared by the Dinka people in Southern Sudan.

In Sudan, a girl learns to cook when she is nine years old, after washing dishes from the age of seven. I loved being in the kitchen, and was taught to prepare food by my sister.

Kuindiong (sweetened semolina) is a special welcome dish prepared by the Dinka people in Southern Sudan for guests. It’s one of my favourite traditional dishes, but funnily enough, it can be much easier to make in Australia. Living in a small village, having a few of our own cattle, butter and yoghurt were luxuries. It’s much easier here, where they’re always available. We serve the kuindiong with miok, a topping made from clarified butter and yoghurt.

I’ve been away from Sudan for 12 years, but still use my cooking stick. It’s especially good for this recipe, making sure there are no lumps in the semolina. I also use Sudanese-style pots with no handles – you get used to the heat.

- Aloung Marang

 

Recipe

Sweetened semolina (kuindiong)

 

Photography by Katie Kaars