Curau de milho
Curau: smooth fresh-corn pudding cooked with milk and sugar and dusted with cinnamon
São Paulo and Minas call it curau; in parts of the Northeast the same thing is canjica, which can confuse anyone travelling for the June festivals. Whatever the name, it is fresh sweetcorn blended with milk, strained and stirred over the heat until it sets into a soft, pale yellow pudding, served cold in little bowls with a dusting of cinnamon. You find it at every arraial in the interior of São Paulo and Goiás and at corn shops beside the pamonha. It tastes of milky fresh corn, gently sweet, and the texture should be silky, never grainy. A frequent slip is to stop stirring: corn starch catches on the base within seconds and gives the whole pot a burnt taste. Chef's tip: cook it in a heavy pan and use a flat wooden spatula so you can scrape every corner of the base.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blend 1 ⅓ lb fresh corn kernels with half of the 2 cups whole milk for 2 minutes, until very smooth.
2 minStep 2: Pour through a fine sieve into a heavy saucepan, pressing hard on the pulp. Pour the rest of the 2 cups whole milk over the pulp in the sieve and press again, then throw the pulp away.
Step 3: Add 5 ½ oz sugar and 1 pinch salt and bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a flat spatula.
5 minStep 4: Keep stirring over a medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the mixture thickens to a porridge that shows the base of the pan when you drag the spatula across.
18 minStep 5: Stir in ½ oz butter, then pour into a serving dish or 6 small bowls. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours until set.
Step 6: Dust with 1 tsp ground cinnamon just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does curau de milho take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 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 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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