How to Make Cornmeal Porridge

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: August 13, 2021 Tested

Cornmeal porridge is a delicious traditional Caribbean dish. This popular meal is also known as Jamaican porridge or cog. Cornmeal porridge is quick, easy, and inexpensive to make. Simply combine the ingredients and thicken them over a low heat on the stovetop. Top the dish with your favourite toppings or enjoy the delicious flavours on their own.

Ingredients

4 cups (950 mL) of boiling water
1 cup (150 grams) of fine yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons (30 grams) of all-purpose flour
0.75 cups (180 mL) of evaporated milk
¼ teaspoon (0.6 grams) of ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon (0.3 grams) of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of vanilla extract
¾ cup (150 grams) of brown sugar
½ cup (153 grams) of sweetened condensed milk
½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of salt

Serves 4

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Prepping the Ingredients

1
Boil 4 cups (950 mL) water in a large saucepan. Pour the water into the saucepan and turn the heat up to high. The water will take approximately 10 minutes to boil.^{[1]
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- Place a lid on the saucepan to help the water boil faster.
2
Add salt to the boiling water and turn down the heat to low. Measure ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of salt into the saucepan. This helps to bring to accentuate the different flavours in the porridge.
- Table salt and ground Himalayan salt will both work well for this recipe.^{[2]
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- If the water stops simmering, turn up the heat.
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3
Combine the cornmeal and flour in a bowl. Measure 1 cup (150 grams) of fine yellow cornmeal and 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of all-purpose flour into a bowl. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.^{[3]
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- If there are any lumps in the flour or cornmeal, use the back of the spoon to squash them.
- Purchase fine yellow cornmeal from the supermarket or a speciality food store. If you can’t find fine yellow cornmeal, use regular yellow cornmeal instead. This will give the same flavour but the consistency won’t be as smooth.
4
Mix the evaporated milk into the bowl. Measure 0.75 cups (180 mL) of evaporated milk into the bowl of cornmeal and flour. Use a spoon to stir the mixture until the ingredients are completely combined and there are no lumps.^{[4]
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- Purchase evaporated milk from a supermarket.
- Use coconut milk if you want a dairy-free option.^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Cooking and Serving the Porrdige

1
Stir the ingredients from the bowl into the simmering water. Carefully pour the cornmeal, flour, and evaporated milk mixture into the water. While you are pouring, use a hand-held whisk to mix the ingredients. This helps to prevent lumps from forming.^{[6]
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- Always be careful when cooking with hot water to avoid burns.
- If you don’t have a hand-held whisk, use a fork instead.
2
Mix the cornmeal porridge for 5 minutes. This stops the porridge from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan and burning, whilst the mixture thickens. If you smell the porridge burning, turn down the heat.^{[7]
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- Scrape the sides and bottom of the saucepan to stop the porridge from sticking and burning.
3
Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. Measure ¼ teaspoon (0.6 grams) of ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon (0.3 grams) of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of vanilla extract, ¾ cup (150 grams) of brown sugar, and ½ cup (153 grams) of sweetened condensed milk into the cornmeal porridge. Stir the mixture until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.^{[8]
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- If you don’t have any vanilla extract, use vanilla essence instead.
- If you don’t like cinnamon or nutmeg, simply leave them out.
4
Leave the porridge to cool for 5 minutes. This makes the porridge much easier and more enjoyable to eat! Transfer the saucepan to a cold element. If there are flies around, cover the saucepan with a clean cotton tea towel.^{[9]
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5
Enjoy the porridge by itself or with your favourite toppings. Serve the porridge into bowls and enjoy its rich flavours. Alternatively, top the porridge with shaved almonds, dried fruit, or cream.^{[10]
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- Leave the porridge to cool for an extra 5 minutes if you are serving it to children.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I thicken this porridge?

Emma Hall1

Community Answer

Leave the porridge over the heat for an extra 5 minutes to make it thicker.
Question

How many people does this recipe serve?

Emma Hall1

Community Answer

This recipe serves 4 people. If you want to serve 8 people, simply double the recipe.