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Couscous de maïs
Couscous de maïs: North Cameroon's smooth, stiff maize paste, shaped in a wet calabash
Across the North, from Garoua's riverside neighbourhoods to the Adamawa plateau around Ngaoundéré, the evening meal is usually couscous de maïs: not the steamed grains of North Africa but a stiff, smooth maize paste shaped into domes with a wet calabash. It is eaten with the right hand, dipped into slippery okra sauce, leaf sauces or a tomato and groundnut stew. The flavour is mild and sweet like fresh corn, and the texture firm enough to hold the dent made by your thumb. Use fine maize meal; coarse polenta gives a gritty result. Chef's tip: let the first handful of meal cook undisturbed on the simmering water for a few minutes before stirring; it forms a raft that blends in without lumps.
- Total time
- 27 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- okra or leaf sauce (optional)to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 1 litre of the 5 cups water to the boil in a heavy pot. Sprinkle a third of the 1 ⅛ lb fine yellow or white cornmeal over the surface without stirring, cover and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes so it cooks into a raft.
6 minStep 2: Stir vigorously with a wooden spatula for 2 minutes until it becomes a thick, smooth porridge.
2 minStep 3: Add the remaining cornmeal in two lots, pressing and folding the paste against the side of the pot for 6–8 minutes, with splashes of the remaining water if it gets too stiff to work, until smooth and stiff.
8 minStep 4: Cover and steam over the lowest heat for 5 minutes, then work it again for 1 minute until glossy. Pulling it off the heat too soon is the common mistake: it should smell of sweet corn, not of raw meal.
6 minStep 5: Dip a small bowl in water, scoop in a portion and swirl it to form a smooth dome. Turn out and serve hot with the okra or leaf sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does couscous de maïs take?
- About 27 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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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