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Mingau de tapioca
Mingau de tapioca: Salvador's creamy morning porridge of tapioca, milk and coconut milk with cinnamon and clove
Before the buses fill up, mingau sellers set out tall aluminium pots on Salvador's street corners and ladle out tapioca porridge into plastic cups for workers on the way in. It is thick, spoon-coating and gently sweet, made with granulated tapioca or small pearls cooked in milk and coconut milk with cinnamon and clove, and finished with a dusting of cinnamon. At home it is a quick breakfast, a soothing supper for children and the classic thing to give someone who is unwell. Many vendors also sell mingau de milho and de puba from neighbouring pots. Where people go wrong is adding the tapioca to boiling milk without soaking it first; it clumps and stays chalky in the middle. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat while it still looks a little loose, because the tapioca keeps drinking up liquid and the porridge sets thicker within minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
To serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅞ oz granulated tapioca or small tapioca pearls in a bowl, pour over ¾ cup water and leave for 15 minutes, until the grains have swollen and turned soft and pale (pearls need 30 minutes).
15 minStep 2: Put 2 cups whole milk, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves and 1 pinch salt in a heavy pan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, watching that it doesn't boil over.
5 minStep 3: Stir in the soaked tapioca with its water and 4 tbsp sugar. Lower the heat and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the grains are translucent and the porridge coats the back of a spoon.
12 minStep 4: Pour in ¾ cup coconut milk and simmer for 2 more minutes, stirring, until creamy and steaming. Fish out the cinnamon stick and cloves.
2 minStep 5: Ladle into cups or bowls and dust with ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 2 tbsp grated coconut. Serve hot; it thickens as it stands, so loosen leftovers with a splash of milk.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mingau de tapioca take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 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 whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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