Sumalak / Samanak
Wheat pudding, labor intensive and prepared with love.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg( about 8 cups) of flour 500 grams of wheat Water, as needed Walnuts, a few pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
1. PREPARE THE WHEAT: Wash 500 grams of wheat and soak it in water for 24 hours.
2. SPROUT THE WHEAT: After 24 hours, drain all the water. Spread the wheat on a flat surface and cover it with a clean cloth or mesh. For 6 days, every morning, sprinkle the wheat with water and drain any excess. If possible, place it in direct sunlight.
3. HARVEST WHEAT: After 6 days, the wheat sprouts will be ready to harvest. Trim the top parts of the sprouts with scissors and separate them. 4. EXTRACT WHEAT JUICE: Blend the sprouted wheat with some water in a blender. Pour the mixture into a fine sieve and press with your hands to extract all the wheat juice. Mix the remaining pulp with 2 cups of water and blend it again, then strain one last time to extract the remaining juice.
5. COOK THE SAMANAK: Pour the extracted juice into a pot and gradually add flour. Place over low heat and stir continuously for 2 to 3 hours, until the mixture thickens.
6. ADD WALNUTS: After 2 hours, add a few walnuts and continue cooking over low heat for another 30 minutes. 7. SERVE in a bowl of your choice.
Tips for Best Results: If you cannot find wheat to grow yourself, or you’ d like to skip steps 1-3, you may purchase already-grown wheat grass from a local supermarket to use for extracting the wheat juice.
8 | ROOTED IN TRADITION