During this holy month of Ramadan, I would like to share some recipes with you over the next few weeks that remind me of Ramadan back home.
This week I'm starting with cornmeal porridge.
When I talk about maize porridge here, many people who aren't very familiar with West African cuisine think of fufu . That's why I specifically "sweetened ." No, fufu isn't porridge to me! Fufu is simply fufu, more of a dumpling than a porridge.
In West African cuisine in general, and Cameroonian cuisine in particular, porridge/bouilli is a staple food. It is eaten there for breakfast, as well as at any other time of day as a snack or dessert.
Porridge comes in many variations, including:
- While classic cornmeal porridge , also called corn pap or koukoulou a popular street food in Cameroon, bouillie de maïs maïs with beignets and haricots , and together this combination creates the famous (or infamous) beignets and haricots bouillie, or BH B for short (pronounced "B (H)ash B" – the "H" is silent in French).
- Rice porridge, on the other hand, is somewhat more elaborate to prepare. While corn porridge is found everywhere, rice porridge is more common in the northern regions of Cameroon.
- There you'll also find Mbusiri also known as Mbouchiri , a porridge enriched with peanut butter. This type of porridge is often found Haoussa Bouillie Haoussa . Mbusiri is often made with a rice base, but can also be cooked with corn or other grains. The essential ingredient is peanuts.
We often make Mbusiri at home during Ramadan. The addition of peanut butter makes it not only much tastier and more nutritious, but also more filling and satisfying. Therefore, Mbusiri is simply ideal as the first meal after breaking the fast. It gives the body a quick energy boost after hours of fasting. That's why it's one of my top 5 Ramadan dishes.
The whole thing as a video
Or as a download…
Mbusiri de mais | Sweetened corn porridge with a hint of peanut butter
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp cornmeal paste
- 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1-2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 lime or lemon
- approx. 500 ml water
Instructions
- Mix the cornmeal paste in a bowl with water and then strain it through a sieve into a small saucepan
- Mix the peanut butter with about 1/2 cup of water and also pour it through the sieve into the pot
- Bring the pot to a boil on a stovetop, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add a little water if necessary and continue stirring
- Now add the sugar and optionally a few drops of lime or lemon juice, stir well and remove from the heat
- Finally, put everything in a bowl, garnish with a slice of lime or lemon and enjoy
