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Atol de elote
Warm, thick fresh-corn drink with milk, cinnamon and sugar, from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras
When the new maize comes in, Central Americans drink their corn: atol de elote is fresh sweetcorn blended, strained and cooked with milk and cinnamon into a thick, pale-yellow drink, sipped from a cup or a gourd. In El Salvador it's sold at roadside stands with tamales de elote; in Guatemala it warms chilly highland evenings. Taste is like sweet corn custard you can drink. Chef's tip: strain the blended corn through a fine sieve and press hard; the skins make the drink gritty.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Blend 1 ⅛ lb fresh sweetcorn kernels with 2 cups water until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
2 minStep 2: Pour through a fine sieve into a pan, pressing hard on the pulp with a spoon. Discard what's left in the sieve.
Step 3: Add 2 cups whole milk, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 ½ oz sugar and 1 pinch salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
8 minStep 4: Keep stirring for 8–10 minutes as it thickens to the texture of thin custard and turns glossy. Common mistake: walking away; the corn starch catches on the bottom within a minute and the drink tastes scorched.
10 minStep 5: Remove the cinnamon stick and serve hot in cups, dusted with 1 pinch ground cinnamon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does atol de elote take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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