Now let’s cook
Zhent. Millet has a sweet side. Toasted grain, sugar, butter and raisins — and no oven at all.
Ingredients
- 500 g hulled milletHulled proso millet, sold as raw groats; not tary, the ready-roasted millet.
- 200 g sugarWhite granulated sugar.
- 125 g raisinsDried grapes.
- 200 g butterButter made from cow’s milk.
Method
Rinse the millet under warm running water until the water runs clear, then let it drain.
Heat a dry frying pan and add the millet. Toast it for about 20 minutes, stirring all the time, until the grains turn reddish.
Grind the toasted millet with the sugar in a blender to a flour.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Rinse the raisins, pat them dry with paper towel, add them to the bowl and stir.
Melt the butter. Pour it into the dry mixture a little at a time, working it in each time until the mixture is evenly combined.
Put the mixture into a plastic bag, press it down firmly with your hands and shape it into a square slab. Chill it in the fridge for about 90 minutes so the zhent sets.
Take the zhent out of the bag and cut it into small pieces on a board. Serve with tea.
Where this dish comes from
Zhent is a traditional Kazakh dish: ground grain is mixed with butter, honey or sugar and shaped without any cooking. This recipe uses millet, though zhent is also made from wheat or barley. It is served with tea, and also at weddings, at large celebrations and to guests of honour.