Akasan

Ingredients

• •200 g Yellow cornmeal
• •400 ml Coconut milk
• •100 g Sugar
• •60 ml Condensed milk
• •5 ml Vanilla extract
• •1 whole Cinnamon stick
• •3 g Salt
• •2000 ml Water

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse yellow cornmeal thoroughly under cold water to remove excess starch. This prevents lumping.

   💡 Cornmeal should be fine-ground for smooth texture - coarse meal creates grittiness.

2. 2

   In a large pot, combine cornmeal with 500ml cold water. Mix until completely dissolved with no lumps.

   💡 Constant stirring is essential to prevent lumps and sticking to the bottom of the pot.

3. 3

   Add remaining 1.5 liters of water, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon stick. Stir well to combine.

   💡 The consistency should be thick enough to coat a spoon - like a thin porridge.

4. 4

   Place pot over medium-high heat. Stir continuously to prevent scorching and lumping. Cook for 15-20 minutes until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.

   💡 Add sugar at the end to prevent the mixture from becoming too thick during cooking.

5. 5

   Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally. The akasan should be the consistency of thin pancake batter.

   💡 Serve hot with chin-chin or puff-puff for authentic Nigerian breakfast.

6. 6

   Remove from heat. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher to remove any lumps or cornmeal bits. Stir in condensed milk. Serve warm or chilled.

   💡 A pinch of salt enhances the corn sweetness - don't skip this.