Corn and Sweet Potato Porridge

Corn and Sweet Potato Porridge

　　For a meal serving a family of five or six, use two pounds of corn placed in a slow-cooking pot. Add water to just cover the corn, then place the pot over the residual heat from cooking rice. Let it sit surrounded by the warmth for about three to four hours until the corn is fully soaked. The heat causes the corn to absorb ample moisture and become plump. Then grind it into a paste using a water mill. When grinding, scoop about ten corn grains at a time with a spoon, spacing them out without interruption and pouring them into the mill’s opening. As the millstone turns, the paste falls into the mill bucket. After grinding, rinse the millstone and bucket with a small amount of clean water to collect all the paste into a basin for later use. In an iron pot, add about three-quarters full of water and bring it to a boil over a firewood flame. Pour two-thirds of the paste from the basin into the boiling water while stirring continuously to ensure the paste mixes evenly throughout the boiling water and does not stick to the bottom. Once it comes to a boil again, depending on the thickness, pour in the remaining one-third of the paste while stirring constantly. If it's too thick, add some hot water; if it’s too thin, add more paste. Keep stirring until it boils again. Add around four pounds of pre-washed sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, and mix them into the porridge. Continue stirring until it comes to a boil again. Cover the pot with a lid held by the spoon handle for a moment, then remove the spoon and tightly cover the pot. Maintain the residual heat in the stove and let it simmer for two hours until cooked. When serving, place two or three sweet potato chunks in each bowl. Serve with pickled radish, preserved vegetables, or soybean paste. This porridge is typically eaten for breakfast or dinner. Characteristics: Smooth, creamy texture, sweet and pleasant taste. It aids digestion, invigorates the stomach, and promotes saliva production. (Huaiyin)