How to make Homemade Sweet Cornbread – Northern Cornbread

Last Updated on October 6, 2020 by Chef Mireille

Sweet and Moist Northern Cornbread is so versatile and it just as good as a sweet snack or with savory meals. Here I have paired it with a Golden Beet Raita for a delicious fusion sweet & savory snack.

So many countries have versions of cornbread and it is one of my favorite things in the world. It’s due to my cornmeal obsession.

What is the difference between Northern and Southern Cornbread?

Even here in America, depending what part of the country you are in, cornbread is two very different things. In the southern United States, cornbread is more savory than fused. It is traditionally made with bacon lard and infused with herbs.

Southern people really have an issue with Northern style cornbread as they wonder in amazement – Since when is cornbread supposed to be sweet?

Since it’s made in the North!

In the the northern United States, especially in the Northeast and some of the Mid-Atlantic States from Maine to Pennsylvania, we prefer our cornbread sweet. In fact, our cornbread is more cake than quick bread. Although it is a sweet cornbread, it is still most often enjoyed with savory foods like soups, stews and barbecue foods.

It is also sometimes just enjoyed as a snack with soft butter!

This soft and savory combination is so delicious, so I went fusion in this pairing by making a Golden Beet Raita to go with it.

If you would like to know more about the many varieties of gluten free cornmeal that there are and how to utilize them all in your kitchen, check out this post here to learn all about Cornmeal, Polenta, Grits & more.

What is Raita?

Raita is an Indian yogurt based condiment. If you ever eat out at Indian restaurants, it is usually served with any flatbread you may order. The basic version is just yogurt, cucumber and a few spices. However, if can be made with many varieties of vegetables, fruits, or nuts.

Raita is a quick, easy way to utilize vegetables and go well with lots of things; not just Indian food.  I am thinking of tossing this raita with some pasta to see how it tastes.  Combining the flavors of this with American cornbread is a great fusion snack.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

So now let’s see what you will need to make this awesome combination.

Ingredients

Cornbread Ingredients

• cornmeal 
• whole wheat flour 
• all purpose flour 
• baking powder 
• egg 
• milk 
• 2/3 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup oil 

Raita Ingredients

• golden beets
• orange zest
• yogurt 
• curry leaves 
• green chillies
• cumin seed
• fennel seed 
• urad dal 
• cilantro 
• salt

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How to make Sweet Cornbread

• Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
• In another bowl, mix together all of the wet ingredients.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined.
• Bake in a greased cast iron skillet of baking pan.

How to make Golden Beet Raita

• Boil Beets.
• Make tadka with urad dal, spices and curry leaves.
• Combine beets with tadka and yogurt in a blender.
• Process until smooth.

Golden Beet Raita

Enjoy Cornbread with Raita!

Both of these are both sweet and savory, so they complement each other well.  The cornbread is sweet, but with a kick as it is going down because of the spice in the masala mix. The raita is spicy, but with the natural sweetness that comes from the golden beets.

This is a perfect snack to enjoy between meals!

Don’t forget to check out some of my other varieties!

Cornbread Recipes

• Southern Style Cornbread
• Zambian Mealie Bread
• Sopa Paraguaya
• Haitian Cornbread
• African Mealie Cakes (gluten free)

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Sweet Cornbread

Sweet Northern Style Cornbread goes so well with Indian inspired Golden Beet Raita as a snack both sweet and savory at the same time.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American, Indian

Servings: 8 people

1x2x3x

Calories: 321kcal

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Measuring Spoons and Cups

Ingredients

Cornbread Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil

Golden Beet Raita Ingredients:

• 8 oz. golden beets peeled
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup yogurt
• 8 curry leaves
• 2 green chillies split
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon urad dal
• a small handful cilantro
• salt to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• In a bowl, combine cornmeal, flours, baking powder, and sugar.
• In a large bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Mix together. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Grease a cast iron skillet. Pour batter into skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
• Now let’s make the Raita.
• Boil beets until tender.
• While beets are cooking, we make the tadka for the raita.
• Heat oil in a skillet.
• Add urad dal, cumin seeds, fennel seed and chiles. Fry for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add curry leaves and fry for another minute. Let cool for a few minutes.
• In a food processor, combine cooked beets, tadka and yogurt.
• Process until smooth.
• Serve the cornbread with the raita.

Notes

You can also make this Sweet Cornbread with 100% whole wheat pastry flour for a more fiber rich version.

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 161IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 2mg

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