The Proven Platter – Mali, December 2024
The cuisine of Mali has historically been marked by a sense of frugality, prioritizing the ingredients that are locally available and that are available in abundance. Techniques of preparation are likewise rather simple and straightforward, ensuring a certain kind of efficient use of time and resources. The base of most dishes is cereal grains and the protein source is plant-forward, primarily from legumes and nuts/seeds. In keeping with these sentiments of the cuisine of Mali, the recipe for the month is for a dish that uses less than a handful ingredients, all of which are pantry staples. The preparation is simple and straight forward and takes less than 20 minutes. Given that Mali is the fourth largest producer of sesame seeds in West Africa, and the second largest in terms of growth and production in the region, sesame seeds being a primary ingredient in this dish is all the more an ode to the region and its cuisine.
Meni-meniyong is a sesame brittle that is made using sesame seeds, honey, and butter. The only tricky part to preparing this dish is to ensure that the honey caramel is of a consistency that will allow the brittle to set. Caramelized too little, the brittle will be more chewy and soft. Caramelize too long and it will become very hard. So pay heed to the honey-butter mixture and allow it to get to a dark brown, thick, syrup-like consistency. Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.
Meni-meniyong (Malinese Sesame Honey Brittle)
Ingredients
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
Equipment
Sauté pan
Sauce pan
Small cookie tray/tin
Parchment
Directions
Grease the small baking tray and line it with parchment.
Heat sauté pan on low and add sesame seeds to the pan. Toast the sesame seeds. They toast very quickly, so make sure not to let them burn. Set aside to cool.
Add butter to sauce pan and stir until it melts. Add honey to the butter and stir until combined. Keep stirring at low heat until it reaches a thick, syrupy, caramel consistency. This should take about 15 – 20 minutes. Mix in the toasted sesame seeds and the salt and combine.
Pour the mixture in the parchment lined tray and score it into small rectangles. Allow it to cool. Break or cut into rectangle shaped little bites that go great with coffee or tea.
Recipe and photo credit: Vinola V. Munyon