Today’s recipe is a special kind of corn pudding common in Nigeria. It’s local names include Akamu by the Igbos, Ogi by the Yorubas and generally Pap in Nigeria. It is very similar to the British custard which is made from dehydrated cornstarch with some added flavors.
The major difference between the two puddings is in the production phase. The corn kernels from which the cornstarch is collected undergoes a fermentation process during the production of Akamu whereas the kernels used for custard is unfermented.
This fermentation process is what gives Akamu its signature tangy taste. Akamu is very popular in Nigeria for its benefits to nursing mothers. It is believed to improve breastmilk production.It is also great for babies. Starting from four months of age. It’s serves as a weaning food for baby. It is digested and is kind to baby’s tender stomach. Akamu is usually taken warm. It serves as a stand alone breakfast or compliments dishes like: Akara (bean balls), moin moin ( bean cakes) Fried plantains and beans porridge. You can make a dessert of it like we did with our granola papfait
Akamu is more tricky to make. If you don’t pay close attention it could become a watery or lumpy mess. For some people it’s a hit or miss. That used to be me until I got the hang of it. To help others having the same problem I decided to take the guess work out of the equation so I went ahead and weighed the raw pap and measured the quantity of water and voila.
I think I can call myself an Akamu expert because I grew up in a home where we made Akamu from scratch always. (as in the raw materials parts :The buy the corn-wash-soak-wash-grind-sieve-squeeze-store part lol.) Sorry for the emphasis but my mom makes the best Akamu from scratch. We have been making Akamu from scratch for along as forever. In fact I have been trying to get her to commercialize it. Maybe someday we would.
Pap comes in different colors based on the type of grain used as the base.
- White Pap- white corn
- Yellow Pap- yellow corn
- Maroon Pap- guinea corn
- Greyish Pap- millet
This recipe is a no fail recipe. It is important to note that the Akamu used in this recipe is not in the dry powdered form. It is the wet paste form as shown in the picture below. Feel free to ask any question about this recipe in the comments.
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African Corn Pudding (Pap /Akamu/ Ogi
Ingredients
For 3 people
- ½ cup or 160g Pap paste (Akamu, ogi)
- 3 ½ Tablespoons room temperature water to mix the raw pap
- 3 cups boiling water
For one person
- 50 g Pap
- 1 Tbsp water to mix
- 1 cup of boiling water
Instructions
- Put 3 cups of water in the kettle and put on the hub to boil.
- In a microwave safe bowl* mix 160g pap with the amount of room temperature water stated above.
- Mix till smooth. It should be have this consistency
- When the water on the stove top boils, pour it from the kettle directly into the pap mixture in a circular motion* while you stir.
- You will notice the mixture begin to thicken. it's ready. Stir properly. The 3 cups of water should fit in.
- Add sugar or cinnamon sugar to taste. And powdered or evaporated milk.
- Pap served with Akara (bean balls) or moi moi
Notes
For like 4 to 5 days,I just seem not to get it right
4 – 5 days should be enough. I do 3-4 Maybe it’s the brand of corn you are using.
Hello ma’am, I usually make ogi from scratch but my ogi never taste sour like the usual nigerian ogi please what am I doing wrong 🥺🥺
Hi Enny,
The sour taste comes from fermentation. The longer you soak the corn the more fermented it will taste. How long have you been soaking yours.
Can one make a pap powder in dry form and package for commercial purpose? If yes, what are the additive ingredients one can use either before milling or after.
Thank u sir.
Please how many days do i have to ferment the corn b4 grinding it
Hi Vivian,
You can soak the corn for 2 to 3 days. Make sure you change the water daily. Hope that answers your question. Stay safe and well.
– Chichi
How do I add strawberry/ vallina flavor to my pap. Is it when taking to mill or after draining it is when am to add those flavors. How long can it stay after adding the flavour.
U really made it easy for me to make my pap without lumps again. Ow do I add flavours like vanilla or strawberry to make my pap taste a bit different from d usuals. Tnk u
Hi Grace. Happy to hear you found this post helpful. To add flavor to the pap, add vanilla extract for vanilla flavor, add chocolate powder like milo for chocolate flavor and add dry strawberry powder or strawberry extract for strawberry flavor. Enjoy!
– Chichi
Honestly i found this article very interesting. I love to experiment but i am scared of its outcome. If i want to make my pap myself can i add groundnuts, dried fish or fruits before taking it to the miller? Just want something different from the usual pap we buy or do.
Hi Ronke,
I think it’s best to add those additions when making the already milled pap.
I remember during my internship in the Pediatrics Dept in Nigeria, addition of crayfish powder was one of the recommendations to improve the nutritious value of pap for children.
I recall the powder was always added after making the pap or while mixing it with cold water in preparation.
Therefore I won’t recommend adding them while milling. Esp not the groundnuts. Hope that helps. Stay safe and well.
– Chichi
If there one thing I can say, it’s that I’ve successfully evaded the responsibility of making Pap all the years of my existence. But I tried your method, (while no one was home, to minimize embarrassment) and it worked out perfectly well. I think I can now boldly add to my resume “made pap perfectly well on first try”. Thank you so much for this fail proof recipe.
Hi Christine,
Thank you for your feedback and the added humor in your comment, it made me smile. I am happy you are more confident when you make Pap. I would love your updated resume on that too lol. Hope you get to try more recipes on the blog. God bless 😊
– Chichi