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I'm sure everyone is familiar with blue corn chips, but have you ever used blue cornmeal for any other application?
My friend Leyla, who is originally from San Luis Potosí Mexico, is sharing her favorite recipe with us for a drink called Atole. It is the perfect cool weather drink.
Check out one of her signature dishes:
WHAT IS MEXICAN BLUE CORN HOT DRINK ATOLE?
Atole is finely ground cornmeal cooked in an aromatic liquid (milk of choice plus spices) and consumed as a grainy porridge looking sweet drink. Served hot or warm, very much like hot chocolate.
I didn't grow up with this drink but the flavor of freshly ground cornmeal is very familiar to my taste buds. My mom is originally from West Ukraine and she cooked porridge made from ground yellow corn, called Mamaliga and she served it with sweet stewed smoked prunes.
Not too long ago I published a savory cornmeal dish, called
WHAT DO I LIKE ABOUT MEXICAN BLUE CORN HOT DRINK ATOLE?
When the weather is cooler, our bodies crave for more fat, more carbs and generally speaking easily digestible foods, such as soups.
This drink can be served to suit your carb/sweets cravings, with healthy calories. It is a very filling drink, and it's great for growing children, elderly people or everyone who just feels a little bit under the weather.
Easy to make even a child can make this recipe, with supervision of course.
Just a few ingredients are needed.
It is a nutrient dense drink that is chemical free and can be served for breakfast instead of your regular porridge or cold cereal.
Can be suited even for people who are on a dairy free diet. Simply use any milk of your choice and enjoy!
SIMILAR HOT DRINKS
Why Blue Corn is Better for you?
First of all, let's be honest corn is corn, so if you are trying to eat less grains or avoiding GMO foods generally corn probably is not your thing.
I have to surprise you, blue corn is different because it is one of the oldest varieties of corn. The Pueblo indigenous American tribe in the southwestern United States have been feasting on this variety as far back as 1540, when the Spanish explorers discovered the region.
Most of the corn available today on the market is genetically modified, and some of us are trying to avoid GMOs. It's actually easier to find non-GMO blue corn than a non-GMO yellow or white variety.
Blue corn is open-pollinated, so its growth is not as easily regulated as that of commercial hybrid yellow or white corn. This variety of corn is perfect for grinding. It has about 30 percent more protein than the average hybrid corn. It is still today widely used in the Southwest and Mexico.
Also, just like about any blue foods such as blueberries and eggplants it contains anthocyanins, a type of plant-based antioxidant.
And last but not least, blue corn is naturally gluten free!
What do you need to make a Mexican Blue Corn Hot Drink, called Atole?
Blue corn kernels or meal - you can find in specialty stores or online. Here is the link for it.
Milk of your choice - I used regular whole milk, coconut would be my choice as well. But choose your own.
Cinnamon stick - any cinnamon is good but if you get the Mexican one, take it as a bonus. It's called Ceylon, or Canela in Spanish. Sometimes people refer to it as true cinnamon.
Cloves - whole is better than using ground but don't let this ingredient stop you from making Atole.
Brown cane sugar - you can find in the Spanish supermarket section. Any sugar can work or even maple syrup.
NOTES ON A GRINDING
There is nothing better than freshly ground flour.
It is fragrant and possesses a very pleasant nutty aroma, and is preservatives (chemicals) FREE!
My husband gave me a mill for Christmas, this one, and I am obsessed with it. Freshly ground flour for my dishes creates a very nice nutty aroma, and nothing can beat the freshness. The big plus is that my flour now contains no additives. I love to grind cornmeal from heirloom corn kernels for my polenta and I use them to make popcorn too. Grinding flour is easy and always fresh.
Get your own organic blue corn kernels and let's get started...
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Author: Inna of innichkachef.com
Serves: 4-6 people
Ingredients for Atole
1 cup blue corn meal (freshly ground for the best result)
4 cups whole milk or milk of your choice
1 stick cinnamon (Mexican if you can find)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or 3 whole
1/4-1/2 cup of brown cane sugar
Directions
First add spices to your milk and then pour into a sauce pot and start cooking it.
Bring milk to the simmering stage. Use a hand whisk to mix while it simmers. Watch closely, and don't let your milk escape from the pot.
Meanwhile in another bowl add cornmeal and pour in 1 cup of room temperature water and whisk all together, so everything is nice and smooth with a clump free texture.
Pour blue cornmeal mixture into simmering with spiced milk. Whisk all together. Cook for a few minutes. The consistency will change from thinner to thicker.
And you are done. Pour ready Atole into your favorite mugs and enjoy!
NOTES HOW TO REHEAT LEFTOVERS
If you have any leftovers store in a fridge. The next time when you are ready to enjoy it again, place a sauce pot with Atole on the stove and with a hand whisk (by the way, this Amish whisk is the best hand whisk I have ever seen, and I'm sure will last for the rest of my life) bring to a thinner consistency by adding more water or milk, which is absolutely a must. Also, be prepared get ready to add more sugar, that is your preference.
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