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Carato de maíz
Carato de maíz: chilled cooked-corn drink with panela and spices, from the Llanos
Out on the hot plains of the Llanos, a jug of carato is kept cold for the afternoon: white corn cooked until soft, blended with its water, strained and sweetened with panela, cinnamon and clove. It is thick, creamy and filling enough to be a snack in a glass. Keep it in the fridge, because left out it starts to ferment. The common mistake is skipping the straining, which leaves it gritty. Chef's tip: strain through a fine sieve and then once more through a clean cloth for the silkiest drink.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 9 oz dried white hominy corn (maíz pilado)soaked overnight
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 7 oz panelagrated
- 4 cloves
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- 10 ½ oz ice cubesto serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz dried white hominy corn (maíz pilado) and simmer it in 8 ¼ cups water for 50 minutes, until it squashes easily between your fingers.
50 minStep 2: Meanwhile warm 7 oz panela, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 100 ml of the corn water in a small pan for 5 minutes until the panela dissolves. Strain out the spices.
5 minStep 3: Blend the corn with its cooking water in batches until very smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, then through a clean cloth, pressing to extract all the liquid.
10 minStep 4: Stir in the panela syrup and 1 pinch grated nutmeg; add cold water if it is thicker than single cream. Chill for at least 2 hours and serve over 10 ½ oz ice cubes. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does carato de maíz take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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