Tequiche

Name: Tequiche
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Cuisine: Venezuelan
Ingredients: 200 g fine yellow cornmeal; 800 ml coconut milk; 250 ml whole milk; 150 g sugar; 40 g butter; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon

Cornmeal and coconut baked pudding

Tequiche: Zulia's baked pudding of toasted cornmeal and coconut milk

Features:Vegetarian

Make ahead

Cuisine:

Venezuelan

Tequiche comes from the shores of Lake Maracaibo, where coconut palms are everywhere: toasted cornmeal is cooked with coconut milk, milk and sugar, then baked into a soft, golden pudding with a nutty, almost caramel taste. In Zulia homes it's cut into warm squares for an afternoon snack with coffee. The usual mistake is toasting the cornmeal too little, which leaves a raw, floury flavour. Chef's tip: keep toasting until it smells of popcorn and turns a light tan; that toast is the whole character of the dish.

Total time: 65 min
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 8

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Ingredients

Serves8

7 oz fine yellow cornmeal
3 ¼ cups coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
5 ½ oz sugar
1 ⅜ oz butterplus a little for the dish
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon

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Method

0/4 done

Step 1: Toast 7 oz fine yellow cornmeal in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes, until light tan and nutty. Cool slightly.
10 min
Step 2: Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 20 cm square dish.
2 min
Step 3: Whisk 3 ¼ cups coconut milk, 1 cup whole milk, 5 ½ oz sugar, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground cinnamon in a saucepan, then whisk in the toasted cornmeal. Cook over a medium heat, stirring, for 8 minutes, until thick like porridge. Stir in 1 ⅜ oz butter.
10 min
Step 4: Pour into the dish, smooth the top and bake for 30–35 minutes, until set in the centre and golden on top. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
35 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 380 kcal
Protein: 5 g
Carbs: 42 g
Fat: 22 g
Fibre: 2 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does tequiche take?: About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 8 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.
Can I make it ahead?: Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of coconut milk?: Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
What can I use instead of whole milk?: Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).

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