Hello Foodies!
Mov Kuam! The good old classic not your rice dish. Mov Kuam: made from coarse grind corn is a classic rice alternative for a common Hmong meal dating back from the 1900’s-present day. Back in the day, my grandma would hull out dried corn, grind it, soak it overnight, and then steam it the next day. They would eat it just like you would eat rice. Today, I’ll show how you can make it as well as my grandma’s version of mov kuam by using couscous. Although couscous is not corn base, it still has the nice coarse grind look just like the corn grits. My grandma likes the couscous version because it is softer in texture vs corn grits is more harder in texture. Though they are different, they both do taste pretty good overall. Eat it with your favorite stir fry, soup, anything really. It’s easy to make and simple in flavor to compliment whatever you decide to pair it with. 🙂 Happy cooking.
Main Ingredients: Corn grits, water, and steamed rice
Soaking the corn grits overnight
Steaming the corn grits
Steam for 40-45 minutes (stirring occasionally) 
Mix steamed rice into the mov kuam for different texture and hardiness
Eat with your favorite stir fry etc. YUMMY!
YUMMIO! 
Couscous Version
My adorable grandma making mov kuam
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- ---CORN GRITS VERSION---
- 1 1/2 cups corn grits (white or yellow)
- water
- 2 cups cooked rice
- ---COUSCOUS VERSION---
- 4 "rice" cups of couscous (or 3 regular cups)
- 5-6 "rice" cups warm water (or 4 regular cups)
- 2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
CORN GRITS VERSION
1) In a bowl, add in 1 1/2 cups of corn grits. Cover it with water with about 1 inch over the top. Let it soak overnight.
2) The next day: Drain out the soaking water. Rinse the corn grits at least twice. Drain well. Then pour it into a super fine cooking cloth or a super fine rice net and put it in the steamer. Steam for at least 35-40 minutes or until it is soft to eat. Stir the grits every 15 minutes or so for even cooking. Once cooked, turn off the heat and transfer the corn grits into a bowl and fan the excess steam. Then add in about 2 cups of cooked rice and mix well.
Serve and enjoy with your favorite soup, stir fry, or dish of your choice. Enjoy!
COUSCOUS VERSION
1) In a bowl, add in 4 "rice" cups of couscous. Rinse with water at least 2 times. Then add about 5-6 "rice" cups of warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the couscous to soak up the water and plump up. Once its plump, mix well and add in two cups of steam cooked rice. Mix well and transfer into a steamer lined with a rice net. Steam for 8-10 minutes or until the couscous is heated through. Couscous doesn't take long to cook. Then take it off the heat and pour it into a bowl. Stir it well so it doesn't clump up. Serve right away and enjoy! 🙂
Notes
Corn grits are gluten free. Couscous is not gluten free (it's made from wheat [semolina]).
2 comments
What is a “rice” cup?
Rice cup is the measuring cup we use to measure rice. It usually comes with rice cooker. However, if you don’t have one, 1 “rice” cup is equal to 3/4 US cup.