Mayi Moulen
Mayi Moulen is the Haitian name for cornmeal porridge. Itis one of the simplest Haitian recipes you will ever find because theingredients are so affordable and the recipe is easy to prepare.  If you know how to boil water in a pot on the stove, thenyou should have no problem preparing this meal for you and your family. Thepreparation time is estimated to be between 30 and 35 minutes. You’ll know whenit is ready because the cornmeal will be fluffy and soft. If you follow therecipe in this article, then it should give you enough cornmeal to servebetween 4 to 5 people. Mayi Moulen is a combination of porridge and garlic withcoconut milk and pureed black beans. You’ll need to prepare the pureed blackbean sauce by following the Haitian recipe for that too. You could alsopurchase a premade version of the black bean sauce in the store, but it won’tbe as good as making it yourself. To diversify the taste and texture of Mary Moulen, youcan add nutty avocado slices to the mix. Mayi Moulen is a classic Haitiancornmeal porridge recipe that has been slightly modified by a Haitian cookinginstructor named Cindy Similien-Johnson. It was the recipe her grandmother usedall the time when she was growing up.
Ingredients
- 1 Â tbsp of Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion (finely chopped)
- 1 Garlic Clove (minced)
- 1 Cup of Yellow Cornmeal (coarse)
- 1 tbsp of Flat-leaf Parsley (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp of Fresh Thyme (finely chopped)
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- 2 Avocados (slices)
Instructions
- Put a medium-sized saucepan on the stove. Make sure it is a heavy-dutysaucepan. Pour the oil into the saucepan and heat it up on the stove. You onlyneed to have medium heat turned on for it.
- Now add the garlic and onions to the oil in the pan. Sauté them untilthey turn slightly golden in color. It should take between 5 to 7 minutes forthat to happen. After that, add 4.5 cups of water to the saucepan and wait forthe water to boil.
- When you see the water boiling in the pan, slowly add the cornmeal andstir consistently. Proceed by adding the black pepper, salt, parsley, and thymeto the pan as well. Keep stirring everything together for a couple of minutes.Try to break apart the lumps that might be in there.
- Remove the cover from the pan. Turn down the heat so that theingredients simmer on the stove. Stir the ingredients periodically as theysimmer. Keep doing this until you see the cornmeal tenderize and turn soft. Itshould not be runny, though. On average, it takes between 20 and 25 minutes forthe cornmeal to tenderize under the simmer heat setting. You might need to add more water as thecornmeal absorbs water from the pan. Add salt for extra flavor.
- When the cornmeal is ready, you can serve it to yourguests. You should prepare the avocados separately by slicing them up first.Place the avocado slices on top of the cornmeal before you serve it as a mealto your guests.
Video
Notes
Mayi Moulen is a big favorite amongst the locals of Haiti. Even if you’ve had normal cornmeal before, you’ve probably never had it quite like this. The unique combination of ingredients makes it an original dish that you will surely enjoy for breakfast or lunch.
Â
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
