Bored with cornmeal and peanut porridge? Well why not try this Jamaican breakfast called Hominy Corn Porridge. This is a completely dairy free version of an old classic that is made from boiled cracked hominy, coconut milk and spices, guaranteed to keep you full until noon.

Jamaica is home to some wonderful breakfast bowls - think cornmeal, green banana (plantain) and rice porridge. Hominy porridge is another favourite for the beautiful people of Jamaica.

However it is highly underrated compared to the aforementioned. It is creamy, flavoursome and provides you with enough caloric energy to sustain a long day.

What is hominy corn?

In short hominy corn is a food substance which derives from the kernels of the corn.

The kernels are soaked in a mineral form of lime or lye which results in the removal of the outer layer of the corn (hull/germ) as well as doubling the kernels in size because of swelling.

The colour of hominy varies from white to bright yellow and is used to make grits in it's ground form. It can also be used as a thickening agent for soups, casseroles or stews.

Hominy is very popular in Latin America - Panamanians make Chicheme (corn drink) , the Caribbean and the southern states of America.

Nowadays you can find hominy sold ground, dried - whole or cracked kernels or in its canned form. The canned form of hominy is largely non gmo and/or organic but very difficult to obtain.

What is hominy corn porridge?

Hominy corn porridge is a Jamaican porridge made from either cracked or whole hominy kernels. It consists of coconut milk, condensed milk, cinnamon (usually a stick/leaf of the spice)nutmeg, vanilla, salt and some type of thickener.

The hominy is rinsed several times before being soaked in water overnight so that it cooks much faster the following day.

The soaked hominy is then boiled with the cinnamon and swells as it softens. Once the hominy is cooked through, the coconut milk, condensed milk and remaining spices are stirred into the pot before serving.

Some people including my family would add either evaporated milk , mixed spice and/or a bay leaf to their porridge.

Growing up as a little girl I used to see my mother and grandmother make this sweet corn porridge on Fridays. I didn't like it as much as cornmeal porridge.

I would always pester my grandmother in particular for a bowl. Needless to say I feel in love with this porridge and I'm so happy to share a completely vegan version of this well regarded dish.

Ingredients you will need

Hominy corn: Make sure you are using crack hominy and NOT whole. Any colour will work but yellow is more popular when making this porridge.
Water: You need to lots of water some for soaking the hominy and more for cooking with.
Cinnamon: Use fresh cinnamon sticks, leaves or ¼ teaspoon of dried depending on availability.
Nutmeg: Again! Fresh or dried - I like a lot of nutmeg (about ½ tsp) but scale back to ¼ teaspoon if this is too much for you.
Coconut milk: Use full fat coconut milk for best results or another milk like almond milk
Tapioca starch: This is a thickening agent to increase the volume of the porridge
Vanilla & pink salt: Add for extra taste!

How to make hominy corn porridge

Add the water to the hominy kernels that were soaked overnight

Bring the water to the boil along with the cinnamon stick and then reduce to a simmer.
Once cooked through prepare to add the coconut milk

Add your nutmeg, pink salt and vanilla along with the condensed coconut milk, sweeten to taste.

Where can I purchase hominy corn?

Ethnic groceries tend to stock it think - Latin, Caribbean or Asian stores. Alternatively, Amazon stocks organic hominy corn.

Can I use another plant based milk if I don't like coconut milk?

Yes, hominy porridge can be made with another plant based milk such as almond if coconut milk is not your thing.

Can I make this recipe in an electronic pressure cooker or instant pot?

Yes, you can make this recipe in an electric pressure cooker. I own a pressure cooker pro and sometimes make it in there.

I skip soaking it overnight, just add 2 cups of coconut milk (mixed with starch) along with 4 cups of water.

I then add all of ingredients (excluding the condensed milk) manually set the timer to 30 minutes on high pressure, seal and cook, an leave to natural release.

Notes and tips

Add more milk if needed. My hominy porridge has a higher corn ratio, if you find the porridge seems too thick simply add more milk (you may need to mix in more starch as well).
Soak the hominy over night. this is the most crucial aspect of preparing your hominy. If you want to reduce the cooking time. Make sure to rinse the hominy before leaving it to soak overnight. I would recommend purchasing cracked hominy as pictured because it cooks a lot quicker than its whole counterpart.
Ensure the hominy is completely cooked. To determine it's readiness, simply take some grains from the saucepan using a spoon, wait for it to cool and use your finger to squash the hominy, if it squashes with ease then it's cooked.
Make sure to thicken the porridge with starch or flour. It is best to mix the starch/flour into the coconut milk. Alternatively, some people like to omit this process by allowing the hominy to break down using the back of a spoon which results in the natural thickening of the porridge.
Check the liquid levels throughout cooking. You should have about 1-2 cups of water left in the pan before adding the coconut milk
Use cracked hominy NOT whole. Cracked will cook A LOT quicker then whole
Don't forget to use my condensed coconut milk recipe to keep it dairy free/vegan friendly.

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