Choctaw Banaha
Banaha is a traditional Choctaw corn bread with roots reaching back before European contact. Early preparations combined cornmeal with water and an alkaline ash made from burned pea hulls, sometimes adding cooked beans or peas. The dough was wrapped in corn husks, tied, and boiled—a method still used by Choctaw cooks today. This modern kitchen version substitutes baking soda for the traditional pea-hull ash and incorporates field peas, a preparation still associated with banaha among the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Recipe makes about 8 banaha
Whatcha Need
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cooked field peas or black-eyed peas
- 1½ cups hot water, as needed
- 8 to 10 corn husks, softened in boiling water for about 10 minutes
- Thin strips of corn husk, for tying
Whatcha Do
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In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, baking soda, salt, and peas. Gradually add enough of the hot water to form a stiff, workable dough.
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Divide the dough into portions and form each into a ball about the size of a tennis ball. Flatten slightly into an oblong shape.
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Wrap each portion in a softened corn husk, much like a large tamale, folding the husk around the dough and tying securely with a thin strip of corn husk.
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Bring a large, deep pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the wrapped banaha, cover, and boil for 40 to 45 minutes.
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Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer the banaha from the boiling water to a platter. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
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To serve, cut or untie the corn-husk strips, unwrap the banaha, and serve warm as an accompaniment to meat, beans, or other dishes.
