Ally's Kitchen: A Passport for Adventurous Palates by Alice Phillips

Author:Alice Phillips [Phillips, Alice]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: 2015-05-12T04:00:00+00:00

makai paka

Corn is one of my favorite vegetables. Corn ~ or maize ~ has been with us since ancestral times, providing essential nourishment for people around the world, and nowhere is corn more noted in cooking than in Africa. This East African ‘makai paka’ ~ corn in a coconut curry sauce ~ could very well show up on a future safari if my magic carpet takes me to Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and other African countries.

Now, true to my bohemian style, I boho’d the traditional way of cooking the corn. Usually it’s left on the cob and cut into small 2- to 3-inch rounds, but I cut it off the cob. Let me assure you the flavors permeating those individual kernels will make your taste buds tingle with bliss in every bite. The succulent sweet corn bathing in this creamy colorful sauce will make you wish you had taken a safari sooner in life! The first time I took a bite of makai paka I literally said, “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

serves 6

WHAT YOU NEED

Corn~

5 cups corn kernels, cooked and cut off the cob (can use whole kernel frozen corn)

3 Tbsp. butter, salted

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

½ large sweet onion, cut in cubes

1½ cups canned coconut milk (do not use the ‘light’ version)

1½ tsp. curry powder

1½ tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. red chili flakes

3 Tbsp. concentrated tomato paste

1 (4-oz.) can diced green chilis

zest & juice of 1 lime

⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Garnish~

cilantro leaves with stems

squeeze of lime juice

WHAT YOU DO

In a large heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté about 2 minutes. Add the corn and stir to blend. Cover and let this cook while you prepare the coconut curry sauce.

In a food processor, combine the onion and coconut milk and pulse about 60 seconds. Add the curry powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, and tomato paste. Pulse about another 60 seconds. Pour this sauce into the corn and mix well. Add the diced green chilis and mix well.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve. Just before serving add the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Toss to blend. If the mixture seems too thick, simply add a little more coconut milk (or regular milk or chicken broth) to thin.

~mood maker~

In Kenya, dinner is a beautiful meal. Recreate that beauty in your home by wearing bright clothing to greet your guests ~ maybe even a bandana around your head ~ and open arms, smiles, and hugs. Try to find decorative, colorful bowls called ‘calabash’ for each dish. The table should mirror your happiness with color ~ use a striped or flowered tablecloth and napkins and adorn it with accessories that reflect the safari and the bush ~ leaves, flowers, and African art objects.

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