Mazamorra – Andean Corn Pudding with Vanilla
Mazamorra is one of the oldest sweet dishes of the Andes: white corn, boiled for hours until it is soft, then cooked down with milk, sugar and vanilla into a thick, creamy pudding. In Argentina it belongs to the 25th of May, the national holiday, and its roots are pre-Hispanic. An ancestral dessert that has kept generations company with its creamy texture.
About the ingredient: it is maíz blanco partido — coarsely cracked white corn, not cornmeal and not polenta. Latin American grocers stock it, sometimes as maíz mote or hominy. What does not work is cornmeal, because it disintegrates in minutes instead of staying whole for hours.
Ingredients
- 250 g cracked white corn (maíz blanco partido)
- 2 litres water (approximately)
- 1 litre whole milk
- 200 g sugar
- 1 vanilla pod (or extract)
- Ground cinnamon, to dust
Method
- 1
Wash the corn well and leave it to soak in plenty of water for 8 to 12 hours (overnight), to make sure the grain softens properly.
- 2
Drain off the soaking water and cook the corn in a wide pot with the 2 litres of fresh water over low heat for 1 to 2 hours, until the grain is completely tender.
- 3
Once the water has reduced and the corn is soft, add the hot milk, the sugar and the vanilla.
- 4
Carry on cooking over gentle heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon so it does not catch, until you reach a creamy, thick consistency.
- 5
Serve warm or cold, dusted with ground cinnamon as you plate it.