Corn is an unpretentious plant that is grown almost all over the world, from China to the Caribbean islands. It ranks second after wheat in terms of sales among other types of grain. There are thousands of cooking options for a wide variety of golden cereal dishes. It is boiled, salted, added to salads, used to make desserts, snacks, alcoholic beverages, grinded into flour and cereal. Corn porridge is one of the most popular breakfasts in the world.
Culinary biography
Today, corn is grown on all continents, but a little more than V centuries ago, maize (that is how this cereal is still called in the USA and some other countries) was cultivated only in the homeland of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans - in Central America. Native American legend says that once an unprecedented famine came on the earth - people were dying families, brutal, ready to kill and eat each other. And then one brave and selfless girl prayed to heaven and asked them to take her life, but to save the people, and then turned into an ear. Yellow grains planted and grew a tall plant with large leaves and fruits wrapped in them, and so that people would not forget that corn should be taken care of as a tender young girl, the heroine's curly hair remained on the cob.
The Indians ate the vegetable in food in different forms: fried, boiled. They are credited with the invention of corn porridge. Maize was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century. From there, the vegetable traveled by sea to East and East Asia, including Turkey, and during the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774), Russia also became acquainted with the annexation of Crimea to corn.
Vitamin and mineral composition
Corn porridge - a delicious and extremely healthy treat! The vitamin-mineral complex contained in it is impressive: provitamin A (carotene), group B almost in its entirety (folic and pantothenic acids, thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin, biotin), vitamins C, E, PP. Corn is rich in iron, copper, and calcium. And the content of titanium, boron, aluminum, sulfur, potassium, sodium, tin, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, etc. makes it almost a champion among natural products. True, its composition, like many other cereals, includes phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals, but with proper preparation its effect is neutralized, so it is important to know how to cook corn porridge in milk or water. We will talk about this later.
How many calories in corn porridge
The nutritional value of this product directly depends on the method of preparation. Corn porridge is considered not very high-calorie, containing a large amount of fiber. So, cereal cooked in milk with the addition of a small amount of butter contains about 300 kcal per serving (150 grams). At the same time, carbohydrates are 45 g, fats - 8 g, proteins - 9.5 g. Dairy-free corn porridge will replenish your energy reserve by 180 kcal (carbohydrate content - 20 g, fat - 6.7 g, protein - 4.7) per portion.
The benefits of corn
The set of vitamins and minerals found in corn porridge makes it incredibly healthy. Judge for yourself:
- removes toxins and excess cholesterol;
- supports the work of the cardiovascular system;
- strengthens the immune system;
- prevents early aging;
- normalizes metabolism and intestinal microflora;
- positive effect on dental health;
- reduces appetite;
- has an antioxidant effect, etc.
Corn porridge is included in the diet for slimming, elderly people, as well as those suffering from diabetes and impaired liver function. It is advised to eat for pregnant and lactating mothers (to avoid colic in the baby, doctors advise to refrain from preparing on milk), and since there is no gluten in the composition, they are allowed to be introduced as one of the first lures of infants!
Contraindications
Paradoxically, the rich vitamin and mineral composition of porridge also has contraindications. It is not recommended to eat corn porridge with:
- impaired appetite in adults and children;
- dystrophy;
- exacerbation of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, peptic ulcer and diseases of the duodenum;
- allergies to carotene and other elements found in corn.
How to choose and store corn grits
To get the most benefit and achieve the best taste, you need to know a few secrets:
- The color of corn grits can vary from white to bright yellow. It is believed that the more intense the color, the better the raw material from which the product is made.
- The consistency of cereals should be uniform, without extraneous elements and impregnations.
- Often on the shelves you can find steamed cereal - it is cooked faster, but, according to the principles of proper nutrition, less useful: the product that has undergone minimal processing has the best cleaning effect.
- Pay attention to the tightness of the bag and the production date - the fresh product has the best taste.
- It is better to store such cereals in a dark and dry place. The ideal temperature regime is from minus to plus 5-6 degrees Celsius.
How to cook porridge
The question of how to cook corn porridge in milk or water is a matter of individual taste. Despite the fact that adepts of proper nutrition claim that cereals cooked on water are more beneficial for the body, there is an opposite argument: the milk product has two times more protein, which most of us are substantially lacking in our daily diet.
To prepare corn porridge in water or milk, we need:
- 500 ml of milk / water;
- 3 tablespoons of dry product (if you prefer liquid corn porridge, you can take 2 tablespoons of cereal - the consistency in this case will be a liquid puree soup);
- salt, sugar, oil to taste.
The salted and sweetened liquid is brought to a boil, cereal is added and simmered for about 25 minutes. Porridge must be constantly stirred so that it does not burn and lumps do not form. You can do this with a whisk. Then you need to turn off the stove and leave it under the lid for another 15 minutes - the porridge will be steamed and will be very tender. At this point, you can add oil.
Culinary secrets
Before cooking, grits can be slightly fried in a pan without oil and water - this way the porridge will be tastier and more aromatic.
Cooking any whole-grain cereal can also start with soaking to get rid of phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Croup must be placed at least for a few hours in filtered water in a ratio of 1: 3 and, if possible, add any acid - lemon juice, vinegar or fermented milk product. Such groats will be cooked faster.
It is better to cook porridge in a thick-walled pan to avoid burning and achieve uniform cooking.
Since corn is a starchy product, you can cook it in two waters: bring to a boil, drain and pour hot water again. This will save you from starch and garbage.
Sugar can be replaced with honey, and also add fruits, berries, dried apricots, etc.
Butter familiar to Russians can be replaced with coconut or vegetable oil: flaxseed, almond, grape seed, etc. But do not forget that butter can affect the taste of the finished product or add an unusual smell.
It goes well with corn porridge with pumpkin. To prepare, you need to boil the pumpkin, peeled and cut into small cubes, in sweetened water for about 15 minutes, then add to the freshly cooked hot porridge and leave it under the lid for another quarter hour. There is an alternative recipe: a tinder pumpkin on a grater, frozen in the form of a pancake, if necessary, break off the right amount of orange goodies and add to semi-finished cereal. The taste of the pumpkin will be pronounced, but the uniformity of the porridge will not be broken!
If you don’t like sweet cereal or want to make a side dish on its basis, you can add feta cheese, sauteed onions and / or carrots, stews, sauce and so on.
Pressure cooker
Recently, many have appreciated the capabilities of pressure cookers and slow cookers in cooking simple dishes, because you can not stand at the stove with a spoon, fearing burning. Cooking time is reduced, and if you set a timer and place the ingredients in the bowl in the evening, in the morning you will be awakened by the pleasant aroma of an already prepared porridge!
So, the recipe for making corn porridge in a pressure cooker is simple, but there are a couple of secrets: it is better to use milk of 3.5% fat or less to avoid "runaway", and the walls and bottom of the bowl can be greased with butter to the middle. Pour porridge, pour milk or water, add salt and sugar to taste. Close the lid and select the “Milk porridge” mode, it is better to change the time to “40 minutes”, and after the signal of readiness to leave it heated for another quarter hour. If the porridge thickens too much, you can dilute it with hot water or milk.
Foreign "relatives" of corn porridge
We have already talked about the popularity of corn in the world. Porridge from a solar product is also loved in different countries, and in some it is even included in the list of national dishes!
Mamalyga is considered a traditional dish in Romania, Moldova and in Western Ukraine. Initially, it was called steeply cooked millet, but when corn appeared on the Danube shores, it completely replaced the less tasteful cereal, and what was considered “bread of the poor” became a popular dish in many houses in this region. For cooking, cornmeal, water and salt are needed. The brew must be constantly stirred and brought to full thickening. They serve mamalyga cut into slices, like bread, with herbs, vegetables, feta cheese.
Abysta is the Abkhaz version of mamalyga, which is often cooked in milk, seasoned with peanut butter and served with suluguni cheese. In contrast to the Danube porridge, abysta is prepared from finely ground cornmeal.
Polenta is one of the favorite Italian side dishes. It is also eaten in southern Switzerland, in Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia. The cooking method is not very different from mamalyga, but Italians sometimes fry their porridge in oil, sliced.
The Angu Brazilian dish, an ancient recipe for Native Americans, looks more like a thick puree soup than porridge.
Caribbean corn porridge, also known as kog or pop, is a traditional Jamaican breakfast. It is cooked in coconut milk using seasonings - cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, and fresh mangoes, nuts and berries are added to it.
By the way, Jamaicans, like Russians, love corn porridge with pumpkin!