Canjica

Canjica
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

This is a corn pudding dessert that we first tried about a month ago on a Sunday afternoon visit to Casa Brasil.
There was a pan of this snowy white soupy stuff on the buffet table, amid the usual delicious victuals: the feijoida; the bacalhao with potatoes and peppers; the sauteed kale and stewed okra; the plethora of salads and stewed meats.

Ever curious, we inquired...and lo and behold, it was not a savory dish at all, but a toothsome take on a dessert pudding. Milky, chewy, speckled with coconut and sweetness - this is the Portuguese (or Brazilian? I've not yet plumbed that depth) answer to rice pudding, albeit made with white corn.

Rose Barros, who along with her husband Joe own and run Casa Brasil, was kind enough to send me home with a bag of the dried white corny stuff and a recipe. Since I don't read a word of Portuguese and the wrapper was written entirely in that language (which despite its similarities to the Spanish I studied from 7th grade through college is really very different), I'm not even sure what the main ingredient 'canjica' exactly is. It's on my list of subjects to Google, and my shorter list of ingredients to source. But here's the recipe, in case you have more immediate access to the elusive main ingredient than I.

Canjica

Soak a bag of canjica (dried white corn) in water overnight.

Drain the soaking water and place in a large pot. Cover with half water and half whole milk, bring to a simmer, and cook until done. (It took about an hour and a half to get to that yummy tender but still chewy stage - I called that done!)

Then, add a cup of granulated sugar, a can of condensed milk, and half a bag of dried coconut. I used unsweetened coconut so I had to add a bit more sugar to taste.

I think Rose told me to add some nutmeg, but I was completely out. It was delicious anyway, warm or chilled.

This recipe made 3 quarts which we enjoyed all week. It made the Dinnerman very, very happy.

I noticed a Portuguese market on Warren Avenue in East Providence, and I plan to check it out next time around...

Happy April!