~295 cal · 6g protein · 58g carbs · 6g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Steamed cornmeal cake wedge with coconut
🇧🇷 Bahia
Brazilian cuscuz has nothing to do with North African couscous: it is coarse cornmeal moistened, salted, and steamed in a special pot (a cuscuzeira) into a soft, crumbly cake. In the northeast it is the everyday breakfast, cut into wedges and eaten with butter, cheese, or a drizzle of coconut milk and coffee.
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Make it yours
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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2 cups coarse cornmeal (flocão de milho)
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2/3 cup water
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1/4 cup coconut milk, to finish
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1 tsp salt
Instructions
1
Sprinkle the cornmeal with the salted water a little at a time, tossing with a fork until evenly moist and crumbly.
2
Let it hydrate for 5 minutes, then rub between your hands to break up any clumps.
3
Pack loosely into a steamer or cuscuzeira and steam over boiling water 15–20 minutes until it sets into a soft cake.
4
Turn out, cut into wedges, and finish with a drizzle of coconut milk (or butter) and a cup of coffee.
Northeastern Brazilian home cooking.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
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Bahia. The Afro-Brazilian coast of dendê oil, coconut, and chili.
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Brazil. A continent-sized country with an Afro-Brazilian coastal soul.
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South America. Andes, Amazon, and Atlantic all on one plate.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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