Pap popularly known as Akamu (in Nigeria) is made from fermented maize, it has this unique sour taste that gets you craving for more, pap could be enjoyed with bean balls or bean cake(akara), moimoi, bread or even the famous agege bread etc.
Pap in Nigeria can be taken by both Adults and babies ready for weaning. As a matter of fact growing up Pap and Hot Akara was a Saturday morning staple. I remember going to buy Akara on Saturday mornings with older cousins living with my immediate family then in Warri, the crowd was often baffling.
Now I made the decision to learn how to make pap from scratch in the comfort of my home when it was time for weaning my baby 'Vida' at the time, for hygiene reasons. I could only trust myself to make her meals. Pap is highly nutritious, especially when you decide to throw in guinea corn and millet in addition to your maize.
Items you'd need
Pap in Nigeria can be taken by both Adults and babies ready for weaning. As a matter of fact growing up Pap and Hot Akara was a Saturday morning staple. I remember going to buy Akara on Saturday mornings with older cousins living with my immediate family then in Warri, the crowd was often baffling.
Now I made the decision to learn how to make pap from scratch in the comfort of my home when it was time for weaning my baby 'Vida' at the time, for hygiene reasons. I could only trust myself to make her meals. Pap is highly nutritious, especially when you decide to throw in guinea corn and millet in addition to your maize.
Items you'd need
- Two clean bowl and or a see through bucket with cover.
- Muslin bag or a chiffon cloth.
- Sieve
- Maize
- Guinea corn (optional)
- Millet (optional)
- Ginger (optional)
Nb ginger gives your Pap a very soothing flavor and aroma.
Preparation
- First of you'd want to clean your maize to remove the left over shalf and stones amidst other dirt. You should do same with your millet and guineacorn, millet especially comes with lots of sand. Please ensure to clean dry first before cleaning with water, it's much easier.
- Next you'd want to soak your maize for at least three days to enable it get soft enough for blending, plus some sort of fermentation needs to take place to give you that sour taste. Mind you, if you're adding guinea corn and Millet you should add it to your corn a day before blending and not the same three days for soaking the maize.
- Now you blend adding your ginger (optional) , you could take it to the market for blending.
- Now using your muslin bag or a chiffon clothe you'd pour in your maize (mixture) into the muslin bag or chiffon cloth, tightly secured to prevent leaking, place your muslin bag or chiffon cloth containing your maize into a bowl of clean water, wash and squeeze until you have just shalf left.
- Pour in the Pap into a bowl and secure with a cover to prevent dirts from falling into it.
- Check after about an hour your Pap is settled at the bottom of the bowl whilst the excess water at the top, gently pour the excess water.
- For dry Pap, pour your Pap into your muslin bag yet again to allow it drain of all the remaining liquid.
- Voila your Pap is ready. Not for immediate consumption though (lol) check out my blog on how to make Pap
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