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Mayi moulen ak sòs pwa
Cornmeal with black bean sauce
Mayi moulen: Haitian cornmeal with black bean sauce
Across Haiti, from Port-au-Prince markets to farms in the Central Plateau, mayi moulen is the everyday alternative to rice: coarse cornmeal cooked with epis, thyme and a whole hot pepper until thick enough to mould, then served under a ladle of smooth black bean sauce called sòs pwa. It is filling, cheap and quietly savoury, and many families eat it at midday a few times a week. The usual mistake is tipping the cornmeal into the pot all at once, which gives lumps that never cook out; rain it in slowly while you whisk. Use a fine-to-medium cornmeal or polenta labelled gluten free if that matters to you. Chef's tip: press the hot cornmeal into an oiled bowl, wait a minute and turn it out onto the plate for the neat dome you see on Haitian tables.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the bean sauce
- 1 lb cooked black beans2 tins, drained, liquid kept
- 2 cups bean cooking liquid or water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp Haitian epis (green seasoning)homemade, or blended parsley, spring onion, garlic and pepper
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 tsp saltto taste
For the cornmeal
- 9 oz coarse cornmealor polenta
- 1 litre waterboiling
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 scotch bonnet pepperwhole, unpierced
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Blend 1 lb cooked black beans with 2 cups bean cooking liquid or water until completely smooth.
2 minStep 2: Warm 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and soften 1 onion for 5 minutes, then add 3 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp Haitian epis (green seasoning) and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
6 minStep 3: Pour in the bean purée, add 1 pinch ground cloves and ½ tsp salt and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring often, until it coats the back of a spoon like single cream. Loosen with water if it thickens too much.
15 minStep 4: For the cornmeal, put 1 litre water, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 3 sprigs thyme, 1 scotch bonnet pepper, the rest of 1 tbsp Haitian epis (green seasoning) and the rest of ½ tsp salt in a heavy pot and bring to the boil.
Step 5: Rain 9 oz coarse cornmeal into the pot in a thin stream, whisking all the time, until it is all in and smooth.
3 minStep 6: Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring hard with a wooden spoon every 5 minutes. It is done when it pulls away from the sides and the grains are soft when tasted. Lift out the thyme and the whole pepper without bursting it.
20 minStep 7: Mould the cornmeal in an oiled bowl, turn out onto plates and ladle the hot bean sauce over and around.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mayi moulen ak sòs pwa take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 cooked black beans?
- Kidney or pinto beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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