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Chigumu
Banana maize cake
Chigumu: Malawian pot-baked cake of maize flour and ripe banana
Chigumu is village baking from the Shire Highlands and the lakeshore near Mangochi: a thick batter of maize flour, overripe bananas and sugar poured into a greased pot, set on embers with more coals heaped on the lid, and left to bake slowly. The result is a dense, moist, golden loaf with a slightly gritty, cornbread-like crumb and a deep banana sweetness, cut into wedges for children after school or carried on journeys. An oven and a loaf tin give the same result at home. The usual mistake is using under-ripe bananas, which leave the cake dry and bland. Chef's tip: pick bananas with skins more black than yellow, and mash them to a liquid before adding the maize flour.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 very ripe bananasabout 450 g peeled
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ cup sunflower oilplus extra for the tin
- ¾ cup water
- 10 ½ oz fine white maize mealor fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and brush a 900 g loaf tin with a little of ¼ cup sunflower oil, then line the base with baking paper.
Step 2: Mash 4 very ripe bananas in a large bowl with a fork until almost liquid, with only tiny lumps left.
Step 3: Stir in 3 ½ oz sugar, the rest of ¼ cup sunflower oil and ¾ cup water until the sugar starts to dissolve.
Step 4: Mix 10 ½ oz fine white maize meal, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 pinch salt, then stir them into the banana until you have a thick, smooth batter with no dry pockets. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes so the maize can soak up some of the liquid.
10 minStep 5: Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth the top.
Step 6: Bake until deep golden and firm on top and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil after 40 minutes if the top is browning too fast.
60 minStep 7: Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Slice when just warm or cold; it cuts more neatly once cool.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chigumu take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 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.
- What can I use instead of very ripe bananas?
- 120g (½ cup) apple sauce per banana (less banana flavour).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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