Ginataang mais recipe: sweet corn and rice pudding with coconut milk
Craving something creamy, sweet, and delicious? Then say no more!
This ginataang mais recipe (or sweet corn and rice pudding with coconut milk) is a variation of the traditional Filipino dish called “ginataan“, which has a wide range of ingredients. It has different kinds of fish, meat, and vegetables that are cooked in coconut milk, depending on what kind of ingredients are used.
However, unlike most forms of ginataan, ginataang mais can be considered both a dessert and a snack, depending on what time the dish is served.
It’s quite simple to make ginataang mais, and is a delectable treat for kids and adults alike!
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Ginataang mais with a rice pudding recipe
Satisfy your craving by trying out this ginataang mais! Check out my recipe below, as well as my cooking tips!
Also read: how to cook ginataang kuhol
Filipino ginataang mais recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can cream style corn about 2 cups
- 1 can whole sweet corn kernels (including the liquid), about 2 cups
- 1 cup sweet rice, sticky rice, glutinous rice, or Calrose rice
- 2 cans coconut milk about 4 cups
- 3 cups water
- ¾ cup* sugar
Instructions
- Place a large pot over medium heat.
- Add sweet rice and water. Simmer until rice is soft and almost all of the water has been absorbed. Stir occasionally to make sure that the bottom doesn’t burn.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to simmer until corn is soft and done.
- Remove from heat. May be served cold or warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out YouTube user Simpol’s video on making ginataang mais:
The dish itself is much like arroz caldo in consistency, but is much sweeter and creamier in flavor due to coconut milk being one of the main ingredients, as well as the addition of sugar to the dish.
It doesn’t take too long to make ginataang mais and it’s especially great for cold weather when hot, warm weather when served cold, or when you just really crave ginataang mais!
If you like corn (mais), you should also check out this mais con yelo recipe
Cooking tips
Yes, I know this recipe seems so easy, and that’s true. But there are actually a few cooking tips I’d like to share to level up your ginataang mais cooking from being a complete beginner to a pro:
- For the best results, I prefer to use fresh corn cobs because they’re fresh, juicy, and very yellow.
- When using canned corn, you can simply replicate this technique by substituting some of the water in the recipe with the packing liquid in the can. One method I use to improve the taste is boiling the scraped cobs in the coconut milk to extract their flavor.
- This dish needs a lot of attention. To keep the rice from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan, stir it occasionally.
- You might want to cook the pudding a little thinner than you prefer because it’ll thicken as it sits and cools. When heated, it’ll likewise taste excessively sweet, but as the ginataan cools, the sweetness will subside.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you heat it up, add a little water or coconut milk to loosen the consistency.
There you have my ginataang recipe cooking tips. Feel free to apply them and get the best out of your ginataang mais recipe for both cold and hot weather!
Substitutes and variations
Now, what if you don’t have all the ingredients? Then check out some of my ingredient substitutes and variations below.
Use any other type of rice instead of sticky rice
Using sweet and sticky rice is really a great option for rice pudding. And it’s not only good for ginataang mais, but also for other snacks, like biko and suman!
However, if you don’t have sweet and sticky rice available, then feel free to use any other type of rice.
Use brown sugar instead of granulated white sugar
Granulated white sugar is best for this recipe.
But if you don’t have it available, feel free to use brown sugar. Please note that the recipe will turn a bit brownish.
That’s all for our dessert snack ingredient substitute. Don’t worry about the other ingredients like coconut milk, because there are many coconut trees in the Philippines. Or you can even buy one at the supermarket for ₱20 or ₱25 a piece.
How to serve and eat
Contrary to how this ginataang mais with rice pudding looks, its serving and eating process don’t need anything fancy.
After cooking the snack in a pot, quickly place it in a bowl and serve it. While it can be eaten as is, you can also add chocolate syrup or condensed milk at the top of the pudding, making it sweeter.
Some people don’t make it sweet while in the pot, as not all like it that way. So the guests can control the sweetness of their pudding when it’s served in their own bowl.
Either way, it’s almost impossible not to enjoy this dessert snack on just about any day!
Similar dishes
If you like ginataang mais, then you should check out some of its similar dishes. They’re all equally delectable treats with a very welcoming aftertaste to charm your taste buds.
Champorado
In Philippine cuisine, champorado (also known as tsampurado) is a sweet chocolate rice porridge that’s best served for breakfast and afternoon snacks as meryenda.
Ginataang bilo-bilo
Ginataang bilo-bilo with langka is a popular Filipino delicacy. It’s made up of ripe jackfruit, coconut cream, sugar, sago pearls, and glutinous rice balls (called bilo-bilo in the local dialect).
Ginataang mais and monggo
Ginataang mais and monggo is yet another delicious treat to try for morning and afternoon meryenda. It’s best served with a glass of juice.
Can’t decide which one to try next after ginataang mais? Just go try all these delectable treats to complete your day!
FAQs
Let me clear things out first before you can proceed to your kitchen and cook ginataang mais with rice pudding.
Ready? Bet you are.
Why should I use fresh corn cobs instead of canned?
Deciding whether to use fresh corn cobs instead of canned is a matter of convenience.
Personally, I prefer to use fresh corn cobs. But to save on time and trouble, canned corn comes in handy!
How do I store ginataang mais?
Simply place your ginataang mais leftovers in an airtight container and put it in your refrigerator.
Then just sprinkle water on it and put it in the oven or cooking pot to reheat it. Do this with 3 to 5 minutes of medium heat only.
Is ginataang mais with rice pudding healthy?
The mais in this dish provides vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps shield your cells from harm and fends off diseases like cancer and heart disease. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin (which are beneficial for eye health and aid in preventing cataract development) are also abundant in yellow corn.
Fresh coconut milk is also a good source of many nutrients. It’s a good source of vitamin D, B vitamins, and calcium.
Treat yourself to this sweet corn dish
Ginataang mais is without a doubt the best Filipino dessert snack I’ve tried. The creaminess and sweetness are perfectly balanced, which will surely make you crave even more.
Do you want to impress your family with a delicious treat at a quick family gathering? Try this ginataang mais now!
’til next time.
Do you have your own ginataang mais recipe you’d like to share with me? Let me see some of those!
If you like my recipe, give it 5 stars and share it with your friends and family as well! Mabuhay.
If you want to learn more about ginataang mais, then check out this article.
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:
Read for free
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
