Fungi
A staple cornmeal-based dish, similar to polenta, often served as a side to fish or as a base for stews and soups in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2.5 cups Water
- 1.25 cups Yellow cornmeal
- 3 tbsp Butter(plus extra for greasing)
- 0.5 cup Onion(minced)
- 0.33 cup Tomato(diced, seeded and drained)
- 0.5 cup Okra(frozen, thawed, coarsely chopped and well drained)
- 0.5 tsp Salt(or to taste)
- Pepper(to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Remove from heat.
- 2
In a medium saucepan, bring the 2.5 cups of water to a boil. Add salt.
- 3
Slowly pour in the cornmeal while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- 4
Stir constantly for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. This creates soft fungi.
- 5
Stir in the sautéed onions, diced tomato, chopped okra, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Continue stirring for another 5 minutes until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- 6
For firmer fungi: Spread the mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet, smoothing the top. Let it cool and set for at least 30 minutes, then cut into squares.
- 7
Serve hot as a side dish, or allow to cool completely and serve at room temperature.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use stone-ground cornmeal for a more authentic texture.
- ✓If the fungi becomes too thick while cooking, add a little more boiling water.
- ✓Fungi can also be made with arrowroot starch, which results in a different texture.
🔄 Variations
- Add other vegetables like bell peppers or garlic to the fungi mixture.
- Serve soft fungi with stewed fish or chicken.