COPPERGurasa recipe
A thick, spongy pancake of fermented wholemeal wheat batter, poured into the pan and torn by hand to scoop up Sudanese stews.
Ingredients
- 500 g wholemeal wheat flour
- 1000 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp instant dry yeast
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ghee or oil
How to make Gurasa
- In a large bowl, mix 500 g wholemeal flour, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp instant yeast.
- Gradually whisk in about 1 litre of lukewarm water until you have a smooth, pourable batter like a thick pancake batter; do not knead.
- Cover and leave to ferment in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes, until the batter has nearly doubled in volume.
- Heat a non-stick pan or a saj over medium heat and grease it lightly with a little ghee or oil.
- Pour in about 150 ml of batter and spread it with the back of the ladle into a round slightly thicker than a pancake.
- Cook until the top is dry and set, then turn it and cook until both sides are golden while the bread stays soft and supple.
- Stack the gurasa under a damp cloth as you cook the rest of the batter, then tear it by hand to scoop up a mullah stew or ful.
What is Gurasa?
Gurasa is a traditional dish from Sudan, stewed slowly, and takes about 1 hour from start to finish. It is built around wholemeal wheat flour. The recipe below uses 6 ingredients and is written out step by step.
How long does Gurasa take?
At 60 minutes it is quicker than 77% of the 586 dishes in Copper's atlas. The method runs to 7 steps, the longest being 30 minutes.
Any tips for making Gurasa?
Whisk the batter smooth without kneading and let it ferment until nearly doubled: that rise is what makes the gurasa thick and spongy.
How Gurasa compares
Hard to find elsewhere: wholemeal wheat flour (1) and instant dry yeast (2).
Copper documents Sudan alongside 197 other countries. Every recipe is free to read, with the full ingredient list and every step.