'Res Pap' (Sierra Leonean porridge)

Dry dough balls 'pap'

 As Lent is fastly approaching, I thought to do a post on one of my favourite porridges 'Pap'

"Pap" is a traditional porridge made from ground-rice molded into tiny dough ball and then sun dried before cooking. It is cooked in hot water just like the American breakfast grits. Sugar is added for taste and to give a kick, most people add freshly squeezed lime or tamarind juice. 

Photo by George Dickson

Even though it is a breakfast meal, it can be eaten throughout the day. It is most commonly eaten during the month of Ramadan. People break their fast with a bowl of "pap" before moving on to eating their main meal.

Photo by George Dickson

I personally think this meal can substitute as dessert. Take out the zesty lime and tamarind juice and add condensed milk and a drop of double cream, you’ll have one creamy affair of a life time.

Ingredients 

1. 300 grams of "pap"
2. 1 liter water
3. Sugar  to taste
4. 1 lime or 60ml tamarind juice 

Cooking Instructions

1. Bring water to a rolling boil in a saucepan
2. Once water is boiling add 'pap' 
3. Stir constanly to keep the tiny dough balls from sticking. The pap is more likely to stick together in the beginning as a result of the starch being release into hot water.
4. Generally speaking cooking 'pap' is like cooking pasta that is "al dente" firm to the bite but yet cooked through. You will need to test if the dough balls are cooked through about 2 or 3 times to know when the 'pap' is done.
5. You can add more to your liken of consistency thick or slighty runny.
6.  Once the 'pap' is done add sugar to taste and squeeze lime or add tamarind juice whichever you prefer.

Photo by George Dickson