In Ghana, people snack on nuts (as in tiger nuts, groundnuts
[peanuts], cashews, etc… often combined with something else, such as fresh
coconut or corn. While corn is sometimes popped and eaten alone or with peanuts,
it is also toasted. (Think African corn nuts.)
1)
Soaking the corn for 24 hours and then draining
it, stirring in a couple of tablespoons of canola oil for a couple of cups of
corn and roasting it in a hot (400 degree F) oven on a greased cookie sheet,
planning to stir every 5 minutes. Whoops! After 5 minutes I stirred it and
before 5 more minutes were up, the corn started jumping off of the cookie sheet
into the oven. It wasn't popping exactly, more the way sesame seeds pop when
you put them into a pan to heat them. I had to turn off the oven and remove the
cookie sheets after the oven cooled. I then drained the corn on paper towels
and salted it.
2) While the corn was cooking in the oven,
I also used a heavy frying pan on the stove top with a little oil (a tablespoon
or so) to toast a cup of the soaked corn on a medium heat, stirring regularly.
After about 7 minutes I had to put a lid on the pan, too, to keep the corn from
jumping out.
3)
The traditional way they do in Ghana: toasting
the corn dry over a low heat (on my stovetop), then pouring the toasted corn
into a pan of cold salt water to soak for an hour, then drying the corn in the
same heavy cast iron frying pan I used to toast it originally.
ENJOY!!
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