Cornmeal porridge is a very delicious pap-like meal enjoyed by the Jamaicans. I was introduced…no, my daughter was introduced to it by my Jamaican friend and it has become a much loved breakfast or dinner either alone or with fried sweet potatoes and plantain.
I was quite amazed that this simple and cheap cornmeal we have in Nigeria can be used other than for making fufu/swallow. In the Eastern part of Nigeria, this is exactly the same maize flour that is used to make “nri oka” mixed with cassava flour. So, cornmeal is finely ground yellow maize flour that are sold in our markets.
I purposely left blogging this till I travelled to Nigeria, went to market and bought the ground maize, just to be sure it is the same as the cornmeal sold here. I can confirm it is the same, so cornmeal is ground maize and you can’t miss it in the markets if you are in Nigeria.
Cornmeal porridge can be taken by infants from 4-6 months of age and as well by adults…trust me, you will forget yourself and the baby you want to feed while licking the spoon you used to make it. Cornmeal is cheap and affordable as another addition to your food menu.
Cornmeal Porridge Recipe (serves about 2 people)
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup cornmeal/fine ground maize
- 1 cup cold water or milk for mixing. You can dissolve 3 tbsp of powdered milk in a cup of water. If using baby milk, mix according to instructions on the tin.
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk (omit for babies under 1 year)
- 2 cups milk and 1 cup water.
- 1 tbsp sugar or more to your taste. You can use mashed or pureed banana instead to sweeten baby’s own, and as well use honey for children who are more than a year old.
- A pinch or two of ground or grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp of vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Method:
- Put 1 cup of water in pot and set to heat.
- Add the cold milk or water to the cornmeal in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Once the water is about to boil, lower heat to the minimum, pour in the cornmeal and start stirring continuously to avoid any lumps forming.
- Add the remaining cups of milk while stirring on low heat. Keep stirring for about 10 to 15 minutes. The runny liquid will start thickening.
- Add vanilla, sugar, nutmeg and salt.
- Add the evaporated milk slowly, while stirring till you get the desired thickness. Remember, it shouldn’t be too thick else once it gets cool, it will turn out a lot thicker.
- Serve warm alone for babies or with a side for the kids and yourself.
Note: Cornmeal or Fine ground maize is different from Cornflour and Corn Starch…don’t mistake them.
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Hi
Thank u very much for this wonderful recipe. But my question is can the evaporated milk be substituted for baby milk when giving it to a child under 1 yr.
Hello Uche, i mentioned using baby’s milk for babies. I will update the evaporated milk portion to avoid confusing some people. Thanks for liking the recipe.
Nice 1. I would like to try the meal but not sure abt the corn meal. Pls help differentiate bw cornmeal, cornflour and cornstarch. Tnks
Hi Mimi, let me try. Cornmeal is ground corn and has a bit of gritty feel and can be cooked as food on its own; Corn flour has a more flour-like texture and is mostly used as a thickening agent in sauces or soups. Corn Starch is almost the same as corn flour and used more as a thickener and not food on its own. I hope this helps and i will try and post pictures on my Instagram and Facebook page