Roasted corn and ube (African pear)
Agbado àti ube: charcoal-roasted maize with soft, buttery boiled African pear
When the rains come between June and September, roadside roasters all over southern Nigeria fan charcoal under rows of maize cobs, and next to them sits a basin of ube, the purple African pear, softened in hot water. A bite of chewy, smoky corn and a scrape of the pear's rich, salty, almost avocado-like flesh is the whole point, and at home a grill or a gas flame does the job. Dropping ube into boiling water is a common mistake: the skins split and the flesh turns watery and bitter, so use water that is hot but not bubbling. Chef's tip: no ube? Fresh coconut chunks are the other classic partner for roasted corn.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 fresh maize cobshusked; firm, starchy field maize is traditional
- 8 ube (African pear)from African grocers in season; or fresh coconut chunks
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Light a charcoal grill and wait until the coals are covered in grey ash, or heat a gas grill to medium-high.
15 minStep 2: Roast 4 fresh maize cobs directly over the heat for 15–20 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the kernels are browned and charred in spots and slightly chewy.
18 minStep 3: Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil, take it off the heat and leave 2 minutes. Add 8 ube (African pear) and soak for 8–10 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and the flesh feels soft when pressed.
10 minStep 4: Drain the ube and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt. Eat by peeling or scraping the soft flesh off the stone with your teeth or a knife, alongside bites of hot corn.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does roasted corn and ube (African pear) take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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