A northern Sudanese bread made from fermented wholemeal wheat flour and cooked into a thick, spongy pancake that soaks up rich mullah stews.
Gurasa
Thick Pancake Bread
قراصة
Thick pancake bread unqiue to the Sudan.
A northern Sudanese bread made from fermented wholemeal wheat flour and cooked into a thick, spongy pancake that soaks up rich mullah stews.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix together in a large mixing bowl: wholemeal flour, salt, pepper, sugar and instant yeast.
Slowly add warm water and mix well to form dough with the consistency of pancake mixture. Leave to the side to ferment for 20-30mins, which can be judged by the volume increasing significantly, almost doubling.
Gently heat and add a small amount oil or ghee to a non-stick pan for lubrication and spread evenly. For more authenticity, do the same to a saaj if one is available.
Begin to make the gursas in the normal pancake fashion by pouring onto the pan approx. 150ml batter then spreading evenly to make a circular shape. The thickness is made slightly thicker than a regular pancake and not allowed to become too dry but removing from the heat when both sides are golden brown yet still soft and supple due to its thickness.
After cooking, keep the gurasas moist by placing in a sealable container or cover with a clean moist kitchen cloth and stack one on top of the other until the batter has finished.
Tear off a bite sized piece of gurasa and use to scoop a stew or dip.
Optional
Can be eaten with a mixture enjoyed by the older generation of: 2-3 tablespoons yoghurt, salt to taste, 1 crushed garlic clove, ½ raw onion chopped finely, 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin and olive oil as garnish. Tear off small pieces of gurasa and mix with the above mixture. Eat with clean hands or a spoon.
2 teaspoons ground black pepper added to the dough for a peppery tasting bread
Hint
1 tablespoon of uncooked batter can be used as the fermenting agent for the next batch. It ferment faster and more easily than yeast.