This African corn in coconut milk is corn on the cob braised in a bright and aromatic coconut turmeric sauce. It's an easy Somali recipe.
This simple Somali recipe for African corn in coconut milk and turmeric sauce, Galey iyo Qumbo, is ready in about 15-20 minutes. It is full of flavor and so comforting. And it just so happens that this recipe is also vegan and super healthy!
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Corn is a staple food in many African countries, including Somalia. You can get it in the form of whole grilled cobs; you can get it as cornmeal and make fufu or African polenta โ Soor. You can make Somali flatbreads with white cornmeal, or you can braise the corn cobs with coconut milk.
While everybody knows and loves grilled corn, fufu is a specialty that not many people outside Africa dare try cooking at home.
But this corn in coconut milk sauce is so easy to make and requires so few regular ingredients, so it would be a shame not to try them. They are delicious!
Check out Cheesy Corn Rice and Pasta in Coconut Milk Sauce, too.
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Recipe ingredients
Corn: I used pre-cooked corn that comes vacuum-packed. That is why the corn is ready in such a short time.
Otherwise, you will need onion, a can of coconut milk, tomato puree, turmeric, and salt.
How to make African corn in coconut milk?
- Mix all the ingredients, except the corn and the fresh herbs, in a pot.
- Add the corn and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the corn is cooked through.
- You can lift the corn off the pan and puree the sauce to make it smoother, but it is not really necessary.
Try more African recipes, such as Nigerian Spicy Jollof Rice or Yassa Chicken.
How to serve?
I served the African corn in coconut milk with millet. Millet is also very popular in some parts of Africa, and I thought it would be a good side dish. It was; we all loved the combination.
How to prepare millet?
- To prepare the millet, wash the required amount in a fine sieve.
- Cook the millet in double the amount of salted water, vegetable broth, or chicken stock, so for 1 cup of millet, you will need 2 cups of liquid.
- I prefer to use vegetable broth or chicken stock; they add more flavor.
- Bring to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer very gently according to the packet's instructions, about 15 minutes on most packets I had until now.
- Remove from heat and let stand for another 10 minutes; the millet will absorb all the liquid and flavors.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
- Millet can be served immediately, or it can be turned into a delicious salad or grain bowl when completely cool.
- Other side dishes for the Somali corn could be regular polenta or African polenta, flatbread, or rice.
Do you have an open pack of millet? Make Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini, Millet Bake, or Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls.
African Corn in Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- ยฝ cup tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- fine sea salt
- 4 small corn on the cob Note
- cilantro or parsley to garnish
- cooked millet to serve, optional
Instructions
- Combine ingredients: Chop the onion very finely. Place the onion, coconut milk, water, tomato puree, turmeric, and salt to taste in a pan.1 onion + 1 cup coconut milk/ 240 ml + 1 cup water/ 240 ml + ยฝ cup tomato puree/ 125 ml + 1 teaspoon turmeric + fine sea salt
- Cook corn: Cut the corn into two or three pieces, place the pieces in the sauce, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer, turning the corn around from time to time until the corn is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.4 small corn on the cob
- Blend sauce: When the corn is cooked, you could take it out of the sauce and puree the sauce and the onions in it. That is optional, but it makes for a more velvety sauce.
- Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve immediately with millet cooked in vegetable broth, for instance.cilantro + cooked millet
Evi @ greenevi says
This looks amazing! I have never had anything like this before, but I'm sure I'd love the awesome combination of corn, coconut and turmeric ๐
anne says
This looks like an interesting way to eat corn on the cob! I usually eat mine plain - this looks worth trying!
Adina says
I hope you give it a try, Anne, I am sure you would like it.
Rafeeda@The Big Sweet Tooth says
My kids absolutely love corn on cob... this would be lovely with some flatbread on the side... Awesome recipe..
Adina says
Flatbread sounds great!
grace says
i love the color of corn already, but now it's even more beautiful! great flavors and presentation. ๐
Adina says
Thank you, Grace.
Heather @ Join Us, Pull up a Chair says
This is such a different way to eat corn but I bet it's delicious! Great SRC recipe!
Adina says
Thank you, Heather.
Tara says
Your corn looks beautiful! So glad you enjoyed my blog! I definitely need to add some Romanian recipes. Which ones are your favorites?
Adina says
Thank you for the great recipe, Tara, we really enjoyed it! There are so many great Romanian recipes, some of my favorites are Chicken Soup with Semolina Dumplings (the dumplings can be tricky, one needs to make them a couple of times to get the hang of them) or the Pea and Chicken Stew.
Tara says
Sounds delicious. Will definitely add them to the list. Thanks!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
This sounds lovely and I love that it is so different than I would normally eat corn. The colors are amazing here too!
Adina says
Turmeric makes everything look pretty, isn't it?
Stephanie says
Oh wow! This super simple corn looks wonderful and sounds extremely flavorful. Taras blog is one of my favorites to poke through (can't wait until I get her for reveal day). This was a wonderful SRC post!
Adina says
Thank you, Stephanie.
mjskitchen says
This is one I have to try! That sauce sounds and looks amazing and your presentation shows this off as a 5 star dish. Need to check out Tara's blog.
Adina says
Have a look at Tara's blog, MJ, I am sure you will like it.
sarah k @ the pajama chef says
i love turmeric! i never use it enough, but it sounds so great with the coconut sauce. ๐ great src pick!
Adina says
Thanks, Sarah.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
OMG, I am a corn on the cob addict, so this is TOTALLY calling my name! You always have the best picks from the SRC! This is no exception, girlie! That sauce looks amazing!! Cheers!
Adina says
Thank you, Cheyanne, that is very nice of you to say. ๐
Monica says
My gosh, you figured out a way to make corn even better! This sounds wonderful. I was being good about using turmeric in my cooking for a while and stopped for some reason...you are reminding me to use it more often again. Interestingly, I was also reading a magazine this weekend talking about how great it is for us.
Adina says
Turmeric seems to be really in nowadays, I didn't even realize that before I started reading about golden milk and so.
Anca says
The corn looks amazing. I never cooked corn like this, only baby corn. I usually boil or grill the big one. This is a great idea, I like it a lot.
Adina says
I miss porumb fiert from the street, Anca. It just doesn't taste the same if I boil it myself at home...
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
Corn is one of my favourite things and I adore coconut so combining the two is just perfect! That colour looks so amazing too! Tara's blog sounds amazing. There are certainly a lot of recipes on there. So nice sometimes to venture outside the comfort zone and try to make or eat something that you haven't tried before, isn't it?
Adina says
That's right, Dawn. I love trying recipes from all over the world, so Tara's blog is really helpful.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I want to drink that golden coconuty sauce!! This looks super!
Adina says
Thank you, Angie. ๐