Cornchaff, where corn and beans become much more! Let me tell you we do love our starches in West African cooking and CORN is a popular one. If you visit during the right season , you will be pleasantly surprised with tasty treats like grilled fresh corn on the curb served with African plums or boiled fresh groundnuts. During harvest , we sometimes plucked some that were not quite there yet. Those were sweeter and a the kennels a little more delicate and  used for another popular dish called cokicorn. A recipe which is a must try and will be sharing in the nearest future.
Now how do we store corn for future use back home? From what I remember definitely not in those huge corn silos I see when taking that scenic drive via I-80 to see my in-laws in Nebraska. Hah! “SCENIC DRIVE”. Usually the corn is hung by the husk in the kitchen , where all that smoke from the famous three stone fireplace slowly dries the corn. Don’t worry, the kitchens are usually a small stand alone hut and there is a window for ventilation. When dried this way they are then ground and used to make fufu corn. A dough eaten with soups and other vegetable sauces. It could also be fermented and used for yet another popular breakfast staple, corn pap.
As you can tell, the options are endless! That brings us to this dish cornchaff, one of my favorites. It’s so simple yet packs flavors that will definitely get the crowd talking. You can make it vegan, pescatarian or load it with as much meat as you want. This is vegan until the addition of crayfish (dried shrimp). Usually boiled dried corn is used but I decided to use fresh corn, rendering a slightly sweet note to the dish. With precooked beans and corn at home, this is ready in little to no time. Try this one and let me know how it turns out!
(Cornchaff ) Sweet corn and pinto beans porridge
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked pinto beans
- 2 cups sweet corn
- 1 sprig Parsley
- 1 small green onion
- 1/2 inch cube ginger
- 1 small habanero
- 2 gloves garlic
- 1 medium onion
- 2 Tbsp palm oil
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup crayfish optional
Instructions
- Slice half of the onion. Blend the remaining half with garlic, ginger, parsley, green onion, harbanero and 1/3 cup of water.
- In a 5 quart skillet, heat up 1-2 tablespoon canola oil and saute onions until they start to brown.
- Add in corn/ beans, blended spices and half a cup of water. Cover and let simmer on medium for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Then add in palm oil and crayfish, cook for about 10 more minutes. Season to taste and serve.
Notes
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