Corn is among the most cultivated crops in the world. Various dishes are prepared from it: flat cakes, polenta, hominy, chips. In our country, corn grits are most often used to make porridge. It is boiled in water to serve with meat or fish as a side dish, and in milk to feed loved ones with a delicious breakfast. If you serve it with fruits and berries, then it can even replace dessert. This dish is recommended for dietary nutrition, as one of the first complementary foods for babies. Knowing how to cook corn porridge will not prevent any housewife, because this hearty, tasty and healthy dish will not be superfluous in the family menu.
Cooking Features
Cooking corn porridge has its own specifics depending on what and with which it is cooked. Knowing a few moments will allow you to get a result that the cook will be satisfied with.
- Corn grits are crushed corn grains. It is produced in large, medium and fine grinding. For sweet porridge usually use the product of medium grinding, porridge in water is boiled from large and medium grains. For baby food, only small cereals are suitable, and sometimes, if the child is very small, corn flour is used instead.
- The duration of cooking porridge depends on the size of the grains. Corn grits are medium-ground cooked for 30-40 minutes, coarse-grinding - about an hour. If you use fine cereal or corn flour, cooking porridge takes no more than half an hour (20-30 minutes).
- Corn grits are highly boiled soft. Water for its preparation must be taken a lot. For thick porridge (viscous), take 2, 5-3 glasses of water for a glass of cereals. If you want to cook medium-sized porridge - 3, 5-4 cup. For liquid porridge - 4, 5-5 glasses.
- During cooking, the porridge must be mixed frequently, as it burns very quickly to the walls and bottom of the pan.
- It is recommended to boil the corn porridge in a pot with thick walls and a bottom, preferably with a non-stick coating. Replace the pot can be a cauldron.
- The technology of making corn porridge involves laying cereals in boiling water. It is poured in a thin stream or put in small portions, while mixing. Compliance with this requirement will help avoid the formation of lumps.
- It is recommended to wash the corn grits before cooking porridge, and if the food is prepared for the child, then soak it in clean water for a while. The product contains phytic acid, which in the intestine can combine with calcium, magnesium and iron, preventing their absorption. To get rid of this unnecessary element, it is enough to hold the cereal in clean water for 10-15 minutes.
- Corn porridge is not cooked on the same milk. First, the cereal is boiled until half cooked in water, then milk is added and cooked.
- To make the porridge more tasty, after cooking it is advisable to add butter, mix and leave to simmer over low heat or just under the lid for 10-15 minutes.
Often corn porridge is prepared with fruit or other additives. Adding additional ingredients can also affect the technology of its preparation.
Important! There is no gluten in the corn grits, which allows including dishes from it in the menu of people suffering from gluten intolerance, as well as children, starting from the 8th month of life. Not superfluous, these foods will be on the table of those who suffer from diabetes. The product contains significant amounts of B vitamins, tocopherol, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper. This makes corn porridge useful for strengthening the nervous system, preventing iron deficiency anemia, and improving metabolism. Regular inclusion in the diet of this dish helps to improve the condition of the skin and hair.
How to boil corn porridge in water
Composition:
- medium-sized corn grits - 180 g;
- water - 0, 75 l;
- salt - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Rinse the corn grits. Let it dry.
- Boil the water.
- Salt the water, Pour the grits into it, while stirring the contents of the pan.
- If you bring water to a boil over high heat, as most housewives do, then reduce the heat.
- Cover the pot. Boil the porridge for 40 minutes, stirring it every 5 minutes. If the water runs out before the porridge is ready, it can be poured. To do this, you can use only warm boiled water.
- Remove the pot of porridge from the heat, close the lid and leave for 10 minutes.
To improve the taste of porridge you can add butter to it. Do it right after cooking. After standing, the corn porridge will become thicker, so if you do not want to cut it like a pie, you should bring it to the table shortly after cooking, not allowing it to cool.
Corn porridge with milk
Composition:
- medium-sized corn grits - 90 g;
- water - 0, 25 l;
- milk - 0, 25 l;
- sugar - 10-20 g;
- salt - a pinch;
- butter (optional) - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Boil water. Put the pre-washed cornmeal into it. Stir well to prevent croup from sticking together.
- Reduce heat and simmer until there is almost no water left in the pot. Do not forget to periodically stir the dish so that the porridge does not burn.
- Pour in the milk, stirring it. Leave to boil for 10 minutes, stirring the dish from time to time.
- Add sugar and salt, butter. Stir and continue cooking until tender. A total of porridge should cook 30-40 minutes.
- Leave the cooked porridge to languish under the lid for 10-15 minutes, after which you can lay it out on plates and invite the household to the table.
Cooking corn porridge on milk requires constant attention of the hostess, but the result justifies the effort spent.
Corn porridge for a child
Composition:
- corn flour or finely ground groats - 15 g;
- water - 100 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Pour the cornmeal with water, stir well.
- Place the corn container on low heat. Boil, stirring, for 30 minutes.
- If porridge is boiled from grits, it must be drained through a sieve.
- Cool porridge, and you can serve it to the child.
Corn porridge in the menu of the child is introduced from 8-9 months after he becomes acquainted with buckwheat porridge and rice. The first portion should not exceed a teaspoon, gradually increase it, bringing it to the standard for the corresponding age. For children older than one year, porridge can be boiled with the addition of milk, with time it can be made thicker and not filtered. If a child is older than 2 years old, add a little butter to the porridge, sweeten it slightly, because at this age, children without sugar and salt do not find the food tasty enough. It is recommended to feed baby porridge 1-2 times a week.
Corn porridge with pumpkin
Composition:
- pumpkin (pulp) - 0, 3 kg;
- corn grits - 0, 2 kg;
- water - 100 ml;
- milk - 0, 75 l;
- sugar - 30-40 g;
- ghee - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Rinse the corn grits, put them in a thick-walled pan.
- Boil the milk.
- Hot milk pour corn over. Stir. Cover and leave to swell while the pumpkin is being cooked.
- Peel the pumpkin from the pulp with seeds and skins. Cut into cubes about a centimeter in size. Put in pan, sprinkle with sugar. Add water and stew on the stove or in the oven until soft.
- Put the pumpkin in the pan with corn grits. Stir.
- Put the saucepan on a slow fire and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add oil, mix.
- Remove the pan from the heat, but leave the porridge to sweat under the lid for another 15 minutes.
Corn porridge with pumpkin is doubly useful, and many people like its taste. Your family will probably be happy for such a dinner.
Corn porridge with dried fruit
Composition:
- corn grits - 0, 2 kg;
- water - 0, 75 l;
- raisins - 50 g;
- dried apricots - 50 g;
- prunes - 50 g;
- salt - a large shchipot;
- sugar - 20 g;
- butter - 50 g.
Method of preparation:
- Mix water with sugar, boil it.
- Pour the cereal, mix. Turn down the heat.
- Boil the porridge for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Dried fruits pour boiling water. After 10 minutes, drain the water. Prune and dried apricots cut into pieces the size of raisin.
- Put the dried fruits in a pan with porridge, stir. Continue cooking until the cereal is soft.
- Add oil, mix. Remove pan from heat.
Let the porridge stand under the lid for 15-20 minutes and invite everyone to the table. Despite the fact that porridge is cooked in water, it turns out tasty and appetizing.
Corn porridge is helpful and satisfying. If you learn how to cook it correctly, you can often include it in the family menu, since there are different recipes for this dish, and you will not get tired of it for a long time.
