Harina de Maiz/Dominican Cornmeal Pudding ~~ Dominican Cuisine

 The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western three-eighths of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands, along with Saint Martin, that are shared by two countries. Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation after Cuba with the Santo Domingo as capital city.Dominican Republic cuisine is predominantly made up of a combination of Spanish, indigenous Taíno, and African influences, the first and last occurring over the last five centuries. Dominican cuisine resembles very much like other countries in Latin America, those of the nearby islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba, most of all, though the dish names differ sometimes.Breakfast can consist of eggs or meat and mangú which is mashed plantain. A heartier version uses deep-fried meat, such as Dominican salami. As in Spain, the largest, most important meal of the day is lunch. Its most typical form, nicknamed La Bandera  which meansThe Flag, consists of rice, red beans, meat like beef, chicken, pork, or fish, and salad. A typical Dominican food consists of the grains, especially rice, corn (native to the island) and wheat,vegetables, such as beans and other legumes, potatoes, yuca, or plantains, and salad; dairy products, especially milk and cheese; and fruits, such as oranges, bananas, and mangoes. However, there is heaviest consumption of starches and meats, and least of dairy products and non-starchy vegetables.The favourite dishes includes Chimichurries, ripe plantains, empanadas, chicharron, batata and tostones.

I got this beautiful cornmeal pudding from Dominican Cooking, the simplicity of this pudding attracted me immediately. Finally few days back i prepared this delicious coconutmilk rich cornmeal pudding for our dessert and we loved it to the core. This simple pudding prepared with cornmeal makes an excellent dessert after a heavy meal, you can have this pudding both hot or warm. But when chilled we didnt like it much, however its adviced to serve this aromatic pudding warm or hot.Served as dessert or for breakfast, this cornmeal pudding is definitely a comforting food and the most favourite for everyone.

1cup Cornmeal
6cups Milk
2cups Coconut milk
1cup Sugar
1/2tsp Salt
4nos Cinnamon sticks
1/2tbsp Cloves
A pinch Nutmeg

Take the cornmeal,milk,coconut milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a vessel, let it sit for 10minutes.

Cook on medium flame, stir constantly to avoid the sticking.

Once its starts boiling put the flame to low, cook for few more minutes.

Remove from heat and pour in serving dishes.

Sprinkle the nutmeg.

Serve hot or warm at room temperature.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

An InLinkz Link-up