🇨🇻 Cape Verdean Cuisine

Cuscuz de Milho

Cornmeal Couscous

Prep Time 15 min
Servings 6
Difficulty Easy
Calories 264 kcal

Sweet Cape Verdean steamed cornmeal cake layered with sugar and butter, a beloved breakfast and dessert that melts on the tongue.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Mix cornmeal with sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
  2. 2 Sprinkle water gradually while stirring until the mixture holds together when squeezed but remains crumbly.
  3. 3 Layer the moistened cornmeal in a steamer, dotting each layer with small pieces of butter.
  4. 4 Steam over boiling water for 25-30 min until firm and cooked through.
  5. 5 Unmold onto a plate. Drizzle with melted butter and extra cinnamon.
  6. 6 Serve warm, cut into wedges.

Did You Know?

The technique of steaming grain in a couscous mold connects Cape Verdean cuisine directly to its West African roots, despite the Portuguese colonial influence.