Lakh — Senegal

Lakh is a millet-based dish from Senegal, a thick porridge made by cooking finely ground millet in water until it thickens into a smooth, spoonable mass, distinct from the steamed millet couscous used in some related dishes and closer in texture to a dense cereal pudding. It is reported across Senegal as a breakfast or light-meal dish, prepared in homes and sold by street vendors, often eaten in the late afternoon or as a filling snack rather than a main dinner course, and it travels well in covered bowls carried to markets or workplaces. To prepare it, millet is ground fine and stirred into water, then cooked over medium heat with continuous stirring to prevent lumps until it thickens into a smooth porridge. It is served warm or chilled, topped with soured milk, and sweetened with sugar, sometimes with a little vanilla stirred through the milk. What distinguishes one version of Lakh from another is mainly its thickness, ranging from a pourable porridge to a firmer, almost pudding-like texture, along with how much sugar and soured milk are added at the table, both adjusted to taste.