Burkina Faso Millet Paste with Tomato Greens Sauce

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A cornerstone of Burkinabé cuisine, tô is a smooth, stretchy millet paste shaped into a dome and served with a savory tomato and greens sauce. The neutral, slightly nutty flavor of the millet makes it the perfect base for soaking up richly spiced sauces. Eating with the right hand, pinching off small pieces to scoop the sauce, is the traditional way to enjoy it.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 285 kcalCalories
• 6 gFat
• 1 gSaturated Fat
• 52 gCarbs
• 5 gFiber
• 4 gSugar
• 7 gProtein
• 310 mgSodium
• 380 mgPotassium
• 45 mgCalcium
• 3.2 mgIron
• 14 mgVitamin C
• 120 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the Millet Paste

• 2 cups fine millet flour
• 5 cups water, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Tomato Greens Sauce

• 2 tablespoons peanut or palm oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 small scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, pierced
• 3 cups packed amaranth or spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup water, as needed

Directions

1. Bring 4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the millet flour into the remaining 1 cup of cold water until completely smooth with no lumps remaining.
3. Slowly pour the millet slurry into the boiling water in a steady stream, whisking rapidly in one direction to keep it smooth.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and switch to a sturdy wooden spoon or pestle. Stir and fold the mixture continuously, scraping the bottom, for about 15 minutes until it becomes a thick, glossy dough that pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pot.
5. While the paste cooks, prepare the sauce: heat the oil in a separate skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and the pierced pepper; cook down for 6 to 7 minutes until the mixture is thick and jammy.
7. Stir in the greens and 1/4 cup water, season with salt, cover, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes until the leaves are just wilted and the sauce is thick enough to scoop.
8. Wet your hands with cool water, scoop the hot millet paste onto a serving plate, and shape it into a smooth round dome.
9. Use the back of a wet spoon to make a shallow well in the center of the dome and spoon the warm sauce into it. Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side.
10. To eat, pinch off a small piece with your fingers and use it to scoop up sauce, just as they do across the Sahel.

Cook’s Notes

• If fine millet flour is hard to find, blend whole millet to a powdery flour in a high-speed blender, then sift it through a fine mesh strainer before using.
• The texture of tô should be firm enough to hold a shape but still slightly elastic; if it gets too stiff during cooking, splash in a tablespoon of hot water and beat it back in.
• Always wet your hands and tools when handling cooked tô because the paste is extremely hot and will stick stubbornly to anything dry.
• Serve with grilled fish, smoked meat, or a dollop of soumbala (fermented locust bean condiment) to deepen the savory profile.
• Leftover paste keeps covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours; reheat with a splash of water in a pot, stirring until smooth.

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