Description[]
Caakiri (or Chakery, Chakrey, Thiacry, Thiakry, Tiakri) is a snack or dessert from Western Africa. It is similar to the rice puddings of the Middle East and India. Today it is most often made with Couscous (which is made from wheat semolina), but traditionally it was made with similar products made from African grains such as fonio and millet, or maize, or even black-eyed peas. The word Caakiri refers to the grain from which the dish is made, as well as the finished dish itself. It is interesting to speculate that modern Caakiri, a sweetened snack or dessert made from grain and fermented milk, might be directly descended from a similar unsweetened dish that once might have been more of a main course, but, with the passage of time and with the increased availibility of other foods (including sugar), has evolved into a snack or dessert dish. There are many kinds of fermented milk foods and beverages in Africa and they may or may not be the same as the yogurt and other milk products which are used in this recipe. This recipe is similar to the Docono recipe from Countess Marcelle Morphy.
Information from the Congo Cookobook | www.congocookbook.com/snack_recipes/caakiri.html
Ingredients[]
- two cups of cous cous
- pat of butter (optional)
- dash of salt (optional)
- one cup evaporated milk
- two cups plain or vanilla yogurt
- one cup sour cream
- one-half cup Sugar
- one-half teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of nutmeg (optional)
- Raisins or crushed pineapple or mint garnish
Directions[]
- Prepare the couscous as normal. Bring four and one half cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add couscous, butter, and salt. Stir and cover. Remove from heat. Leave covered for ten minutes. Allow couscous to cool.
- Combine all other ingredients. Stir yogurt mixture into couscous. Add more Sugar, to taste. Garnish as desired. Serve warm or chilled.