Corn porridge - general principles and methods of preparation
Corn porridge is very good for health, it is advised to eat it for small children, the elderly, as well as those who monitor their weight (as a diet low-calorie dish). Corn cereals are rich in vitamins, amino acids, iron and silicon, they have a high concentration of fiber, with which you can get rid of toxins. The value of corn porridge was appreciated by residents of many countries of the world, for example, it is considered a national dish in Moldova, Romania and Italy, however, in each of these corners of Europe porridge is cooked in its own way. Many recipes from corn grits were mastered by Russian housewives. In our country, corn porridge is boiled in milk, with the addition of sugar and butter, often using oriental recipes, adding dried fruits. This dish is cooked on the stove, in the oven and in the microwave.
Corn porridge - preparation of products
Corn porridge does not require any special preparations before starting the basic culinary manipulations. The main thing is that corn grits and flour should not be damp, otherwise many lumps will turn out and an unpleasant aftertaste will appear. Croup should be washed in cold running water and proceed directly to cooking.
Corn porridge - the best recipes
Recipe 1: Corn porridge in milk
Traditional corn porridge is prepared in milk, it is often given to children and the elderly to normalize the body and make up for the lack of vitamins and minerals. In addition, this porridge is very tasty.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup corn grits;
- 2 glasses of milk;
- 2 glasses of water;
- 3 tablespoons of sugar;
- 50 grams of butter;
- 1 teaspoon of salt.
Cooking method
Pour the groats into the pan, fill with water, cook on the stove, stirring occasionally.
To protect themselves from spoilage of porridge with sour milk, housewives usually heat it in a separate bowl and, making sure of freshness, add it to the pan where corn grits are cooked (after the water has boiled almost all). Then porridge must be salt and add sugar. The process of cooking with milk lasts about half an hour.
Before serving, corn porridge is seasoned with butter.
Recipe 2: Corn Porridge with Dried Fruits
Dried fruits are often used in the preparation of oriental dishes, so the use of dried apricots and raisins in combination with corn grits was invented in this region. Russian housewives have long mastered the "overseas" recipe and are actively using it.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of corn grits;
- 2 glasses of milk;
- 2 glasses of water;
- 100 grams of dried apricots;
- 100 grams of raisins;
- 100 grams of butter;
- 2 tablespoons of sugar;
- ½ teaspoon of salt.
Cooking method
Beforehand, it is worth preparing dried fruits: dried apricots and raisins are washed in warm water or pour boiling water for several minutes. After a short preparation, dried apricots are cut into cubes.
Water and milk (make sure that it is fresh and does not curdle when the temperature rises) must be mixed, boiled, add sugar and salt, then, stirring constantly, slowly pour in the corn grits. The stirring process allows you to get rid of lumps and avoid burning porridge.
The cooking process should take about 15 minutes, then the porridge becomes quite thick, it must be transferred to a pot (clay or cast iron), evenly shifting with pieces of dried apricots, raisins and slices of butter.
Corn porridge is baked in a closed pot in the oven for about an hour, the recommended temperature in the oven is 90 degrees.
Recipe 3: Corn Porridge with Pumpkin
Quite often, corn porridge is cooked with pumpkin, such a combination is quite appropriate and especially true for breakfast.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of corn grits;
- 300 grams of pumpkin;
- 3 glasses of milk;
- 1 tablespoon of sugar;
- melted butter;
- salt.
Cooking method
Before cooking cereals, fry the corn grits in a pan (do not add oil, the dishes should be completely dry). After the cereal acquires a slightly golden color, it must be poured with hot milk and left for about half an hour so that it swells.
Pumpkin should be cleaned of pulp, seeds and peel, so that only the hard part of the fruit remains, it is necessary to cut it into small cubes. Sprinkle the pumpkin cubes with sugar and start heating on a small fire, the vegetable will quickly let the juice out, resulting in a sweet dressing for corn porridge (note that the pumpkin must be boiled until cooked!).
Combine the pumpkin with corn porridge, add salt, boil, remove from the stove, cover, wrap in paper and a warm coat or put in “pillows”. After the porridge stubs, it will become even more delicious and aromatic.
Serve corn porridge, previously seasoned with butter ghee.
Recipe 4: Corn Porridge for Weight Loss
Corn porridge can be called a diet dish, it is low-calorie and helps with weight loss.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of corn grits;
- 2.5 cups of hot water;
- 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- 100 grams of raisins;
- a few tablespoons of sugar;
- salt.
Cooking method
Mix all the ingredients (raisins should be pre-soaked and slightly swollen), put in a baking dish, put in the oven. The process of making corn porridge takes about half an hour; you can find out that a dish is ready to eat by the presence of a golden crust on the surface.
If you want to make the taste of dietary cereal more original and unusual, use cranberries instead of raisins.
Corn porridge - useful tips from experienced chefs
- The process of making corn porridge is simple, but there is one nuance that adds trouble to the housewives - the cereal often burns, so the dish requires constant stirring.
- For cooking corn porridge, you should choose dishes with a thick bottom to prevent burning.
- If the porridge is too thick, but there is no milk at hand, you can dilute it with fruit puree or regular yogurt.
- A special taste of corn porridge is given by frying from onions, sweet peppers, salted cheese, tomatoes, etc.
