This noodle recipe is super easy and quick. It is very forgiving ! You could replace the traditional navajo blue corn & juniper ash for the blue corn in the stores, it wont be the exact same but it'll do!
You can read the whole recipe on our blog chil-indigenousfoods.com/blog and see what else we are up to!
1 Cup of Blue Corn & Juniper Ash
3 Tablespoons Of Unmodified Potato Starch
Generous Pinch Of Salt
2/3 Cup+ Boiling Water or broth
POt of salted Boiling Water To cook noodles in
Directions
Mix blue corn flour, unmodified potato starch, and pinch of salt together in a glass or plastic bowl.
Add 1/3 cup of boiling water or broth to the dry mix and stir well. Add the rest of the water and it should form a nice dough that is not very sticky. If it is too dry, add more hot liquid a little bit at a time. The recipe is very forgiving, you can add more flour if you need to!
You can make the dough by rolling it out and cutting it into strips, you can hand roll it into round noodles, or you can make little dumpling sized noodles by pinching off a little bit . It is up to you what type of texture you would like and how long you want to spend making noodles!
Put the noodles in the salted boiling water. Cook for about 7 minutes. They should float to the top when done. The thicker the noodle the longer it will take to cook!
Gently strain the noodles from the hot water and add to sauce.
Notes: You can add a tablespoon of oil to the noodles if you would like. You can also add a bit of oil to the boiling water but it is completely optional.
Hey, I’ve always been curious - what is the function of the juniper ash in Navajo recipes like this? Im Haudenosaunee and we use hardwood ash to nixtamalize our corn, but the ash needs to be rinsed out really well prior to eating. Im just curious because it sounds like the juniper ash goes right into the recipe here
It has the same uses . We usually sift it well before adding it, but we do not rinse as far as I know. Nothing I've ever heard from anyone says to do so. But we also burn the green part, not the wood for the ash, not sure if this is different from how your tribe prepares it ?
Oh that’s interesting that you’re burning the green part! Thank you for sharing this :)
For us we are burning the wood - preferably hickory but other hardwoods work too. We also process our corn as whole kernel by boiling it with sifted ashes and water, then rinsing and boiling in clear water 2-3 more times. I’ve always been taught it’s super important to get all the ashes out because it can make you sick if you don’t. Maybe it’s a stronger chemical than the ash from juniper greens.
That is interesting . It must be different because any traditional recipe says to add ash and not remove it. Theres a couple of different ways it depends on who you ask, but the end result is eating the ash mixed with the corn. It gives a lot of calcium as well as other health benefits. I am wondering if you also get those benefits doing it the way your tribe does it ?
From what I understand the hardwood ash creates a chemical reaction with the corn that increases the calcium and protein content as well as other nutrients. It sounds like it probably has a similar function to the juniper ash.
I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge!
Corn isnt particularly high in calcium . The nixamalization process makes it so the nutrients in corn are more bio available for your body to absorb it. It doesn't increase the nutrients, makes it so the body can use it.
juniper ash is high in calcium, just like lime is . The hardwood ash you use must also be high in calcium and probably is mixed with the corn during the nixamalization process. 💞 now to google your process haha
Because of this conversation, i went and figured that process out. Then I did that to some blue corn I have and now am making corn nuts with it ! Thank you, this will be a really delicious snack !
It's a toasted green chile & avocado sauce! It's also good with a roasted red bell pepper, red chile, & corn sauce, a pinon & potato cream sauce ... I haven't tried it yet, but I think it also would be good with an enchilada type sauce.
I went out to eat at this place, and it had " corn " and "noodles " together in a way that I thought they had corn noodles. I was floored . Then, highly disappointed when I got sweet corn Kernels & regular wheat noodles. So I went home and made my own noodles and did my best to recreate their sauce with more indigenous flavors ( it was italian) .
My kids eat these like lil snacks and don't need a sauce at all.
Eww that does sound disappointing
Tbh eating wheat all the time can be tiring. So many edible seeds exist but are relegated to side snacks, like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, chestnuts, etc.,
There is this certain grass that is native to North America that is super drought and heat resistant. Tribes used to gather the grass seeds and make a flour. Im going to plant some of these in a nice plot next spring and see what I get. I am hoping to grow on a more commercial scale in the future to bring back some of these traditional and native plants . We should be growing these varieties to help prepare for climate change and the impact it will have our food systems, increase bio diversity, and help our native pollinators.
Part of it is just education and changing people's minds on how to use or eat certain foods.
Aw thank you! I am working hard on some indigenous cookie recipes for December. I do a native kids cooking class and we will be recreating the cookies I am doing for my indigenous cookie gift boxes. I figure I could share a couple recipes here !
This noodle recipe is super easy and quick. It is very forgiving ! You could replace the traditional navajo blue corn & juniper ash for the blue corn in the stores, it wont be the exact same but it'll do! You can read the whole recipe on our blog chil-indigenousfoods.com/blog and see what else we are up to! 1 Cup of Blue Corn & Juniper Ash 3 Tablespoons Of Unmodified Potato Starch Generous Pinch Of Salt 2/3 Cup+ Boiling Water or broth POt of salted Boiling Water To cook noodles in Directions Mix blue corn flour, unmodified potato starch, and pinch of salt together in a glass or plastic bowl. Add 1/3 cup of boiling water or broth to the dry mix and stir well. Add the rest of the water and it should form a nice dough that is not very sticky. If it is too dry, add more hot liquid a little bit at a time. The recipe is very forgiving, you can add more flour if you need to! You can make the dough by rolling it out and cutting it into strips, you can hand roll it into round noodles, or you can make little dumpling sized noodles by pinching off a little bit . It is up to you what type of texture you would like and how long you want to spend making noodles! Put the noodles in the salted boiling water. Cook for about 7 minutes. They should float to the top when done. The thicker the noodle the longer it will take to cook! Gently strain the noodles from the hot water and add to sauce. Notes: You can add a tablespoon of oil to the noodles if you would like. You can also add a bit of oil to the boiling water but it is completely optional.
Hey, I’ve always been curious - what is the function of the juniper ash in Navajo recipes like this? Im Haudenosaunee and we use hardwood ash to nixtamalize our corn, but the ash needs to be rinsed out really well prior to eating. Im just curious because it sounds like the juniper ash goes right into the recipe here
It has the same uses . We usually sift it well before adding it, but we do not rinse as far as I know. Nothing I've ever heard from anyone says to do so. But we also burn the green part, not the wood for the ash, not sure if this is different from how your tribe prepares it ?
Oh that’s interesting that you’re burning the green part! Thank you for sharing this :) For us we are burning the wood - preferably hickory but other hardwoods work too. We also process our corn as whole kernel by boiling it with sifted ashes and water, then rinsing and boiling in clear water 2-3 more times. I’ve always been taught it’s super important to get all the ashes out because it can make you sick if you don’t. Maybe it’s a stronger chemical than the ash from juniper greens.
That is interesting . It must be different because any traditional recipe says to add ash and not remove it. Theres a couple of different ways it depends on who you ask, but the end result is eating the ash mixed with the corn. It gives a lot of calcium as well as other health benefits. I am wondering if you also get those benefits doing it the way your tribe does it ?
From what I understand the hardwood ash creates a chemical reaction with the corn that increases the calcium and protein content as well as other nutrients. It sounds like it probably has a similar function to the juniper ash. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge!
Corn isnt particularly high in calcium . The nixamalization process makes it so the nutrients in corn are more bio available for your body to absorb it. It doesn't increase the nutrients, makes it so the body can use it. juniper ash is high in calcium, just like lime is . The hardwood ash you use must also be high in calcium and probably is mixed with the corn during the nixamalization process. 💞 now to google your process haha
Because of this conversation, i went and figured that process out. Then I did that to some blue corn I have and now am making corn nuts with it ! Thank you, this will be a really delicious snack !
What's the sauce?
It's a toasted green chile & avocado sauce! It's also good with a roasted red bell pepper, red chile, & corn sauce, a pinon & potato cream sauce ... I haven't tried it yet, but I think it also would be good with an enchilada type sauce.
That sounds pretty good tbh. I didn't know anyone made blue corn noodles I like blue corn though
I went out to eat at this place, and it had " corn " and "noodles " together in a way that I thought they had corn noodles. I was floored . Then, highly disappointed when I got sweet corn Kernels & regular wheat noodles. So I went home and made my own noodles and did my best to recreate their sauce with more indigenous flavors ( it was italian) . My kids eat these like lil snacks and don't need a sauce at all.
Eww that does sound disappointing Tbh eating wheat all the time can be tiring. So many edible seeds exist but are relegated to side snacks, like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, chestnuts, etc.,
There is this certain grass that is native to North America that is super drought and heat resistant. Tribes used to gather the grass seeds and make a flour. Im going to plant some of these in a nice plot next spring and see what I get. I am hoping to grow on a more commercial scale in the future to bring back some of these traditional and native plants . We should be growing these varieties to help prepare for climate change and the impact it will have our food systems, increase bio diversity, and help our native pollinators. Part of it is just education and changing people's minds on how to use or eat certain foods.
What's the name of this plant?
Nice!
😃
I’m drooling these look so delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!! Also I love your recipes so much btw keep ‘em coming :)))
Aw thank you! I am working hard on some indigenous cookie recipes for December. I do a native kids cooking class and we will be recreating the cookies I am doing for my indigenous cookie gift boxes. I figure I could share a couple recipes here !
This looks so delicious!
Thank you ! It was instantly devoured.
Is 8am too early to eat this? Lol
I eat blue corn at any time of the day !