Making good Nigerian corn pap (Maize pap) can be tricky. It’s very easy for your bowl of akamu to turn lumpy and difficult to swallow. One thing with Nigerian corn pap also known as ogi, akamu or pap in Nigeria is that it is either smooth and nice or thick and lumpy. Very easy to make if you know the simple trick of making good akamu.
There are two ways you can fix lumpy pap.
The only times my pap gets lumpy is when I make it very thick. raw wet Cornstarch needs to be properly diluted with tap water into a light consistency before pouring in boiling water.
If your corn pap always turns lumpy, just know you need to add more tap water while crushing the raw wet cornstarch. If you add too much tap water, you end up with watery corn pap. Too small tap water and you end up with thick and lumpy corn pap so, there has to be a balance.
The consistency of your raw corn starch will determine the outcome of the cooked akamu (Ogi).
Watery corn pap hardly gets lumpy.
When cooked corn pap turns too thick and full of lumps, most times it is thrown away and another bowl of pap is mixed. There is no need to throw away your lumpy pap, it can be fixed. The lumps in corn pap, ogi, akamu can be fixed easily.
HOW TO FIX LUMPS IN CORN PAP, AKAMU, OGI
- Empty the lumpy corn pap into a clean bowl and set aside the bowl you used in making the pap because that used bowl already has lumps stuck at the bottom.
- Get an egg whisk and quickly whisk the pap you just emptied into a clean bowl. Don’t let it get cold. Whisk briskly and vigorously until you see the lumps begin to disappear and continue until your akamu, ogi, pap turns smooth.
- Another method you can use to remove the lumps in your pap is with a food blender. Pour the lumpy corn pap in a food blender and use the pulse button to quickly remove the lumps. Don’t blend fully unless you want to change the consistency of the corn starch. Use the pulse button of the blender. Press and off a few times and the lumps in your ogi are gone.
- Sweeten and serve your corn pap.
Before you leave, see How to make corn pap from scratch.