Canjica, also known as mugunzá in Northern Brazil, is a comforting and sweet porridge made from white hominy corn, cooked with milk and spiced with cinnamon and coconut. Here’s how to make this classic Brazilian dish.
Contents
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Ingredients
- To Cook the Corn
- 5 cups of water
- 500g package of white hominy corn
- For the Milk Mixture
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1-2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 cup dehydrated unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 (13 oz) can coconut milk
- A pinch of nutmeg
Directions
1. Prepare the Corn
- Rinse the hominy corn in a strainer until the water runs clear, then let it drain.
- Place the washed corn in an instant pot or pressure cooker. Add 5 cups of water, cover, and cook on manual setting for 40 minutes.
2. Prepare the Coconut Milk Mixture
- While the corn cooks, mix the shredded coconut, milk, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, coconut milk, cinnamon stick, cloves, vanilla, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
3. Combine and Cook
- Once the corn has finished cooking, carefully release the pressure and open the pot.
- Add the milk-coconut mixture to the corn, switch to sauté mode (open) and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the flavors combine and the mixture thickens slightly.
4. Serve
- Serve hot or chilled, garnished with a sprinkle of cinnamon or toasted coconut for added flavor.
