Name: Arroz seco de maíz, Guapi-style coconut corn
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1 kg dry whole maize, sorted and coarsely cracked; 2 fresh mature coconuts, finely grated; 600 ml warm water, for extracting coconut milk; 480 ml thick first-extraction coconut milk; 480 ml thin second-extraction coconut milk; 500 ml fresh water for cooking; 6 g fine salt; 1 colino leaf, optional and washed

A wide bowl of Guapi-style cracked maize cooked with coconut beneath a toasted leaf.

Region Guapi, Cauca, on Colombia’s Pacific coast

Category Side dish; cracked maize cooked with coconut milk

Yield 8 side portions

Prep time 45 minutes

Active time 35 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Arroz seco de maíz, Guapi-style coconut corn

A Pacific Colombian side made from cracked dry maize simmered with fresh coconut milk and rested beneath a toasted leaf.

In Guapi, on the Pacific coast of Cauca, “arroz de maíz” names maize rather than rice. Dry kernels are pounded or ground until they break into small pieces that resemble opened rice grains, then washed and cooked. The name describes their shape after grinding and cooking. A Ministry of Culture recipe records this dry maize preparation with coconut milk and salt, covered at the end with a toasted colino leaf. The same documentation notes that the laborious grinding had become uncommon at the time it was recorded; it does not establish how often the dish is made today. This home adaptation uses a coarse grain mill instead of a pilón, and gives practical metric measures for coconut extraction. Keep the maize as small grains, not flour. The result should be tender, separate and lightly rich with coconut, suitable as a side for fish, seafood or other Pacific dishes.

Ingredients

Cracked maize with coconut milk

1 kg dry whole maize, sorted and coarsely cracked
2 fresh mature coconuts, finely grated
600 ml warm water, for extracting coconut milk
480 ml thick first-extraction coconut milk
480 ml thin second-extraction coconut milk
500 ml fresh water for cooking
6 g fine salt
1 colino leaf, optional and washed

Method

Sort and crack the maize Remove husks and damaged kernels. Grind the dry maize in short pulses until the pieces are roughly 2–4 mm, like small broken grains; do not make flour. Work in batches and keep the mill dry.
Wash and soak Put the cracked maize in a basin, cover with cool water and rub the grains between your hands to loosen bran. Skim or drain away the husks, repeat until the water is much clearer, then cover with fresh water and soak 2 hours.
Extract the coconut milk Finely grate the coconut flesh. For thick milk, knead it with 240 ml warm water and squeeze through a clean cloth into a bowl. Return the pulp to the bowl, add 360 ml warm water, knead and squeeze again for the thinner milk. Strain both and keep them separate.
Drain the maize Drain the soaked maize through a fine colander, rubbing it gently once more to release loose bran. Let excess water drip away; do not rinse away all the starch.
Start cooking with thin milk Put maize and 500 ml fresh water in a wide heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring often. Add the thin coconut milk in 3–4 additions as the liquid reduces.
Finish with thick milk Cook gently for another 25–35 minutes, stirring and scraping the base frequently. Add the thick coconut milk gradually. The grains are ready when tender all the way through and the mixture is dry and separate, with no pool of liquid. Add salt, taste, and correct the seasoning.
Cover and rest If available, lay a clean colino leaf briefly over a flame until just toasted and pliable; do not scorch it. Set it over the maize, cover the pot and rest off the heat for 10 minutes. Fluff gently and serve.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

The estimated nutrition is for one of eight portions, using dry whole maize and the stated coconut extraction. Coconut-milk yield and richness vary with the size and maturity of the coconut and how firmly the pulp is squeezed; sodium depends on the final salt added. These rounded values are estimates, not laboratory analysis.

Practical guidance

Measurements: The original account gives two coconuts and small-cup measures rather than standardized metric volumes. This home version assumes 120 ml per small cup for extraction water and uses 240 ml cups for the final milk volumes; actual yield varies with coconut size and squeezing. Equipment: If no grain mill is available, use a sturdy mortar in small batches. Do not substitute cornmeal, polenta or canned sweetcorn: each cooks differently and will not produce rice-like cracked grains. Safe storage: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C. Keep chilled for up to 3–4 days and reheat throughout to 74°C. Allergen: Contains coconut. If you have a coconut allergy, do not eat this dish; check any packaged coconut ingredients for cross-contact information.

Final notes

Keep the maize in small distinct grains; a flour-like grind changes the texture.: Add the coconut milks in stages and stop cooking when tender grains are dry and separate.:

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 8 side portions
Calories: 580 kcal
Carbohydrates: 91 g
Protein: 12 g
Fat: 18 g
Fibre: 9 g
Sodium: 300 mg

Arroz seco de maíz, Guapi-style coconut corn

Ingredients

Cracked maize with coconut milk

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Arroz endiablado, Guapi coconut rice with shellfish

Seco de piangua, Guapi coconut and mangrove-clam stew

Arroz atollado de piacuil, Guapi coconut rice with mangrove periwinkles