Cuscuz nordestino
Steamed flaked-corn cake, the Northeast's breakfast staple, served with butter
Cuscuz nordestino has nothing to do with North African couscous: it's a soft, fluffy cake of steamed flaked maize (flocão), eaten every morning across the Northeast, from Pernambuco to Bahia. It's served hot in wedges with a melting slab of butter, often with fried egg, cheese or coconut milk poured over. It's traditionally steamed in a cuscuzeira, a two-tier steamer, but a steamer basket lined with a cloth works too. Chef's tip: let the corn soak up the salted water for 10 minutes, then pack it into the steamer loosely. Pressed down, it turns dense and heavy; loose, it steams into a light cake that still holds together.
- Total time
- 24 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Dissolve the 1 tsp salt in the 1 cup water. Put the 9 oz flaked maize (flocão de milho) in a bowl and sprinkle the water over in three goes, mixing with your fingers so every flake gets damp.
Step 2: Leave for 10 minutes. The flakes swell and soften; squeezed in your hand they should hold together loosely and look like damp sand. If they're still dry and gritty, add another 2–3 tbsp water.
10 minStep 3: Fill the bottom of a cuscuzeira or steamer pan with water up to just below the basket and bring to the boil. Line the basket with a clean, damp tea towel if the holes are large.
Step 4: Spoon in the corn loosely, without pressing, and smooth the top. Cover and steam over a medium-high heat for 10–12 minutes, until the cake looks a shade darker yellow, smells like fresh corn and a knife pushed in comes out clean and hot.
12 minStep 5: Turn out onto a plate (it slides out in one dome) and cut into wedges. Top each with a slice of 1 ⅜ oz butter so it melts in, and pour over ½ cup coconut milk or add grilled 3 ½ oz queijo coalho if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cuscuz nordestino take?
- About 24 minutes in total: 12 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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