Sakha Salamat (Yakut Flour Porridge)

Name: Sakha Salamat (Yakut Flour Porridge)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 31 min
Total time: 41 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Sakha (Yakutia)
Ingredients: 150 g Wheat flour; 50 g Butter; 500 ml Water; 300 ml Milk; 1 pinch Salt; 2 tbsp Sugar; 120 g Sour cream; 20 g Butter; 100 g Lingonberries

Local name: Саламаат

A warm Sakha porridge of toasted flour cooked with milk and butter and served with sour cream.

Servings4
Prep10 min
Cooking31 min
Total time41 min
DifficultyEasy

🌱 VegetarianContains glutenContains dairy

Sakha Salamat (Yakut Flour Porridge) — Photo: Slaian · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

↓ Method

About this dish

Salamat is a traditional porridge of Sakha (Yakutia), built on flour and dairy. The flour is first toasted in a dry pan, then cooked with butter and hot milky water. In the cold climate it is served as a filling breakfast or a simple dessert.

What makes the Sakha version distinctive is the nutty aroma of the toasted flour and the generous topping of butter and sour cream. It is also commonly eaten with local forest berries, especially lingonberries.

Ingredients

4 servings

Tick the ingredients off like a shopping list.

Porridge

150 g Wheat flourbarley flour also works
50 g Butterfor the flour
500 ml Waterhot
300 ml Milkwhole
1 pinch Salt
2 tbsp Sugaradjust to taste

To serve

120 g Sour creamcold
20 g Butterfor serving, soft
100 g Lingonberriesfresh or frozen

Method

Sift the flour and measure the milk and water.
Set a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, add the flour with no fat and stir constantly until light golden, about 8 minutes.
Lower the heat, add 50 g butter and stir until fully mixed with the flour, about 2 minutes.
In a separate pot, heat the water and milk until just below boiling, about 5 minutes.
Add the hot liquid to the toasted flour a little at a time, whisking to avoid lumps, and simmer on low heat until thick, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the salt and sugar and cook for 3 more minutes.
Cover the pot, take it off the heat and let the porridge rest for about 5 minutes.
Divide among bowls and top with sour cream and soft butter.
Add lingonberries on the side if you like and serve hot.

💡 Tips

Toast the flour over low-medium heat and stir constantly; burnt flour turns bitter.
Add the liquid hot, as cold liquid causes lumps.
If the porridge gets too thick, loosen it with a little hot milk.
Fresh butter and good sour cream noticeably improve the flavor.

🛒 Can't find it abroad?

Lingonberries — Use cranberries or a tart berry jam.
Sour cream — Use crème fraîche or strained yogurt for a lighter taste.

This recipe was prepared with the help of AI, following the traditional home-style method; quantities, times and steps were checked automatically for consistency. Ovens and stoves differ, so check doneness by eye.