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Mbaipy
Cheesy polenta
Mbaipy: Paraguay's soft cheesy polenta with onion and milk
Mbaipy (say 'mbai-PU') is Guaraní country cooking at its plainest: coarse corn flour stirred into milk and onion fried in oil until it thickens into a soft, spoonable porridge, finished with cubes of fresh cheese that melt into strings. In the Paraguayan countryside it is a cheap winter supper; cooks often stir in shredded chicken to make mbaipy so'o, but this is the meat-free version eaten on fasting days and in plenty of homes. Queso Paraguay is made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian mozzarella or fresh cheese if you need to. The usual mistake is tipping the corn flour in all at once, which makes lumps that never cook out. Chef's tip: let it sit, covered, off the heat for five minutes before serving; it firms up slightly and the corn swells fully.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- ½ red pepperfinely chopped
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 ¾ cups milk
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 7 oz queso Paraguay or mozzarellacut into 1 cm cubes; vegetarian rennet if needed
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat and fry 2 onions and ½ red pepper until soft and just turning golden.
10 minStep 3: Rain in 7 oz coarse cornmeal or polenta in a thin stream, whisking all the time. Switch to a wooden spoon and keep stirring as it thickens.
3 minStep 4: Cook over a low heat, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until thick and creamy and the grains no longer feel gritty, about 15 minutes. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too stiff.
15 minStep 5: Stir in 7 oz queso Paraguay or mozzarella until it melts into strings. Cover and rest off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve in bowls.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mbaipy take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 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 onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of red pepper?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
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