Humita en olla

Name: Humita en olla
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 bowls
Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients: 8 piece Corn, fresh ears, kernels grated off on a box grater; 50 g Butter, or lard; 1 large Onion, finely chopped; 1 medium Bell pepper, red bell pepper, finely diced; 3 piece Spring onion, sliced, white and green; 200 g Butternut squash, finely diced, the Salta way; 1 tbsp Paprika, sweet, pimentón dulce; 1 tsp Cumin, ground; 0.5 tsp Chilli flakes, ají molido; 300 ml Milk; 1 tsp Sugar, only if the corn is not sweet; 1.5 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 1 handful Basil, leaves, torn; 150 g Queso fresco, or another mild fresh cheese, in 1 cm cubes

Fresh corn grated to a pulp and simmered with onion, red pepper, butter, milk and paprika until thick, finished with cheese and basil. A northwest Argentine stew.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 35 min
Rest: None
Total: 1 hr
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

Image coming soon

About

Humita en olla is fresh corn cooked in a pot until it thickens on its own starch. The kernels are grated straight off the cob on a box grater, which gives a milky pulp rather than whole kernels. That pulp goes into onion, red pepper and spring onion softened in butter with sweet paprika, cumin and a pinch of chilli, then simmers with milk, stirred often, until it is as thick as soft polenta. Basil and cubes of fresh cheese go in at the end. It should taste of corn first, sweet and savoury at once. Use the freshest corn you can find.

What you'll need

15 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 15 ready

4 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Corn, fresh ears, kernels grated off on a box grater8
Butter, or lard50 g
Onion, finely chopped1 large
Bell pepper, red bell pepper, finely diced1 medium
Spring onion, sliced, white and green3
Butternut squash, finely diced, the Salta way (optional)200 g
Paprika, sweet, pimentón dulce15 ml
Cumin, ground4.9 ml
Chilli flakes, ají molido2½ ml
Milk300 ml
Sugar, only if the corn is not sweet (optional)4.9 ml
Salt7.4 ml
Black pepper2½ ml
Basil, leaves, torn1 handful
Queso fresco, or another mild fresh cheese, in 1 cm cubes150 g

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Husk the corn and pull off the silk. Stand each ear in a wide bowl and grate the kernels off on the large holes of a box grater, then scrape the cob with the back of a knife to get the last of the milk. You want about 800 g of pulp.
15 min
Step 2
Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium heat and cook the onion, red pepper, spring onion and squash, if using, for about ten minutes until soft but not browned. Stir in the paprika, cumin and chilli for 30 seconds.
11 min
Step 3
Add the corn pulp, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook on low for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until thick and creamy and the corn no longer tastes raw. Add a splash more milk if it gets too stiff.
25 min
Watch: Corn starch catches easily. Keep the heat low and stir often, right into the corners.
Step 4
Taste, and add the sugar only if the corn is starchy and flat. Stir in the basil and cheese and cook for two minutes, until the cheese softens but still holds its shape. Serve hot in bowls.
3 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 742 kcal
Protein: 12.3 g
Carbs: 55.2 g
Fat: 57.3 g
Saturated fat: 34.1 g
Fibre: 8.6 g
Sugar: 16.1 g
Sodium: 868 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk

Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.

Substitutions

Fresh corn → 800 g frozen sweetcorn, pulsed with the milk
Blend to a coarse purée. It is sweeter and thinner; stir in a little cornstarch slurry if it will not thicken.
Queso fresco → Mozzarella or another mild white cheese
Argentine cooks use queso fresco or cremoso. Anything mild that softens without vanishing will do.

Tips

Older, starchier corn thickens faster and tastes less sweet; young sweetcorn takes longer to thicken. Change the time, not the heat.
It thickens further in the fridge. Loosen it with a little milk when reheating.
In Salta it often comes with a small bowl of hot chilli sauce on the side for people to add as they like.

History & culture

Humita is a dish of the Argentine northwest, Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, made in late summer and autumn when the choclo, fresh corn, comes in. It is served in bowls as a main or on the side, and it joins locro and empanadas on the 25 de Mayo and 9 de Julio national holidays. The other version, humita en chala, is the same mixture wrapped in husks and boiled.

Humitas are Andean and older than the Spanish. The name comes from the Quechua humint'a, and corn mashes cooked in pots or husks are made from Ecuador and Peru through Bolivia, Chile and northern Argentina. The colonial period added onion, cumin, paprika, cheese and milk. The northwest kept many of these pre-Hispanic corn dishes, locro among them, at the centre of its cooking.

Traditional — Recipes vary across the northwest: Salta and Jujuy cooks often add squash and basil, Tucumán versions can be sweeter, and many use lard instead of butter. Argentine choclo is starchier and less sweet than North American sweetcorn, which is why some recipes add sugar and others do not.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Humita en olla take?

1 hr all in — 25 min prep, 35 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Chef's knife, Cutting board, Mixing bowl.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.

How much sugar?

1 tsp (only if the corn is not sweet, optional) of Sugar.

What can I use instead?

Fresh corn → 800 g frozen sweetcorn, pulsed with the milk. Blend to a coarse purée. It is sweeter and thinner; stir in a little cornstarch slurry if it will not thicken. Queso fresco → Mozzarella or another mild white cheese. Argentine cooks use queso fresco or cremoso. Anything mild that softens without vanishing will do.

What should I watch for?

Corn starch catches easily. Keep the heat low and stir often, right into the corners.

Any tips from this recipe?

Older, starchier corn thickens faster and tastes less sweet; young sweetcorn takes longer to thicken. Change the time, not the heat. It thickens further in the fridge. Loosen it with a little milk when reheating. In Salta it often comes with a small bowl of hot chilli sauce on the side for people to add as they like.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.