Bring some Panamanian flare to your household with some Chicheme. A totally vegan friendly beverage made from maíz pilado (dried corn kernels), almond milk, water, spices and my homemade coconut condensed milk. Instant pot and stovetop option
Thoroughly rinse off the hominy corn and transfer it to your inner pot.
Proceed to add the cinnamon sticks along with the water.
Select "pressure cook" on "high" and adjust the +/- to 30 minutes.
Place the lid on the instant pot and flick the valve to "sealling".
The pressure cooker will take several minutes to reach pressure before it begins to cook.
After the given time, leave to instant pot to perform a natural release of pressure for 10-15 minutes.
Flick the valve to "venting" to release any excess pressure then remove the lid.
Use a spoon to check the readiness of the hominy by squeezing it between your fingers, it should be soft and easy to squash (that means it is ready).
Add the nutmeg.Stir in the vanilla, almond milk and coconut condensed milk (to taste).
Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard them.
Leave to completely cool, transfer into glasses and then place in the refrigerator.
Stovetop version
Rinse the hominy several times in warm water to release some of the lye/lime before finally placing the hominy in a large bowl with water (not the 6 cups) and soak overnight.
The next morning drain off the water and rinse again.
Pour the hominy into a medium size saucepan with the 6 cups of water along with the cinnamon sticks and then bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan with the lid and allow to simmer.
Check the saucepan frequently to ensure there is enough water, it should take almost an hour for the hominy to soften and there should be just enough water in the pan to cover the corn.
Once cooked remove the saucepan from the stove then proceed to stir in the almond milk, vanilla, nutmeg and condensed coconut milk (to taste)
Allow the chicheme to completely cool before refrigerating.
Notes
Make sure to soak the corn kernels overnight, if you are making the stovetop version.
This recipe should make up to 6 servings.
Some people like to serve this hot instead of cold, you are more than welcome to do that instead.
Hominy corn is NOT the same as sweet corn and cannot be used as a replica.
If you don't want to use
Feel free to use Coconut Milk instead for a more Caribbean flare.
As the drink cools down it may thicken, if it does, it is okay to thin it out with milk/water if required.
You can purchase dried hominy corn from any Asian, Caribbean or Latino grocery store
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator (in individual glasses that are wrapped or in an airtight container) and consume within 2-3 days
For best results, once you have made the drink, allow it to completely chill before serving.