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Kajaik (Dried Nilotic Catfish Stew)
Sun-dried Nilotic catfish stewed with caramelized alliums, aromatic coriander, and bound with mucilaginous ground okra powder.
The story
Kajaik is a centuries-old staple of the Nilotic river communities across southern and border-region Sudan, where flood-recession fishing provides an abundance of catfish that is sun-dried on riverbanks for preservation. The stew is eaten as an everyday staple, traditionally scooped up with dense wedges of fermented sorghum asida (porridge). The dish relies on waika (sun-dried powdered okra) whisked in at the final simmer, which acts as a traditional binding agent, creating the distinct mucilaginous texture essential to authentic Sudanese table fare.
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