Roasted on charcoal and rubbed with lemon juice, salt and chilli powder – that is probably how most Indians best like their fresh corn. The closest you can get to that here in Australia is boiled corn dished out by vendors at street fairs and beach-sides. Equally good, you might say!
I like sweet corn best the way my kids eat it – simply washed in water and cooked in the microwave for three minutes on high, no dressing.
Yet many different ways of serving corn can be found in Indian cuisine. Sample the following.
Corn Korma
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 3-4 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp oil
- Coriander leaves for garnish
Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions and garlic. When lightly browned, add tomato puree. Stir well and fry for awhile. Then, add the corn, the dry masala, salt and sugar. Add one cup of water and allow to boil.
Finally add the coconut milk, stir well and serve garnished with coriander.
Corn Cutlets
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)
- Salt for taste
- Chopped fresh coriander leaves
- Oil for deep-frying
Boil and mash the potatoes. Give the corn a gentle whirl in the food processor. Dice the onion fine.
Mix potatoes, corn, onion, ginger and garlic, and coriander, cumin and chilli powders. Add the salt and coriander leaves. Make small round balls of the mixture. Heat the oil in the frying pan or wok. Put the small balls of the mixture into the hot oil one by one. Deep fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve hot with tomato sauce or mint-coriander chutney.
Corn Raita
- ½ – ¾ cup corn kernels
- 250 gms yoghurt
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp pepper powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp grated coconut
- Green coriander for garnishing
Beat yoghurt well, add salt, pepper, chilli powder, grated coconut and corn, and mix well. Dry roast cumin seeds and powder. Add this to raita. Garnish with coriander.
Corn Masala Rice
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 cup green peas
- 10-12 cashews halved
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp sambhar masala
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp oil or ghee
- ½ tsp each cumin and mustard seeds.
Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the cashews and fry till light brown. Remove.
To the same oil, add cumin and mustard seeds to splutter. Add the corn, peas, rice and all dry masalas and 5 cups water. Cover and cook till almost done.
Add lemon juice, sugar, coriander and cashews. Cover and cook till rice is done and no water is left.
Serve hot with yoghurt.
Corn Bhel
- 1 cup corn kernels
- ½ cup grated carrot
- 1 medium onion diced fine
- 1 medium tomato chopped fine
- ½ cup coriander chopped fine
- 1 large boiled potato
- ½ cup plain yoghurt
- ½ cup sev (fine)
- 1 tsp chat masala
- 1 tsp limejuice
- 1 finely chopped green chilli
- ½ tsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp cumin seeds powdered
Keep aside sev and half the coriander.
Chop potato finely. Mix all the ingredients well in a large mixing bowl. (Best do this just before serving).
Transfer to individual bowls. Garnish with sev and coriander.
Pea and Corn Cutlets
- 1 cup peas
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 6 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup fine polenta
- 2/3 cup self-raising flour
- 1 ½ tsp coriander powder
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup plain yoghurt
- Oil for frying
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix together peas, corn, spring onions, polenta, salt and pepper. Add sifted flour and coriander powder.
Mix yolks from both eggs in ½ cup yoghurt and add to peas and corn mixture.
Beat egg whites well. Fold one-third into peas and corn mixture and mix well. Gently fold in remaining egg whites.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Over medium heat, spoon small quantities of mixture into oil and flatten slightly. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through.
Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve hot with tomato sauce or mint-coriander chutney.
Corn and Cheese Sandwich Mix
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 cup shredded tasty cheese
- ½ bunch of fresh dill leaves, finely cut
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp cream
- Salt to taste
- ¾ tsp sugar
Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl. Use as sandwich spread.
Gujarati-style Corn
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ tsp grated ginger
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- ½ tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder to taste
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (or grated fresh)
- 1 tbsp oil
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds
- Fresh coriander for garnish
Combine milk and corn kernels in a pan and bring to a boil. Keep on a simmer, stirring occasionally, till most of the milk is evaporated. Remove from the heat.
In another pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they begin to pop, add ginger and green chilli and stir. Then add the corn, salt, sugar and red chilli powder. Stir. Then add the coconut and fresh coriander. Mix well.
Chicken Corn-wallah
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 2 cups peas
- 4 large tomatoes, chopped (use tinned tomatoes if preferred).
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup brandy (optional)
- ½ cup mango chutney
- Red chilli powder to taste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup water
Mix flour with crumbed stock cube and toss drumsticks in. Shake away excess flour.
Heat oil in a pan and cook drumsticks until lightly browned. Remove drumsticks from oil. In the same oil, add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add turmeric, tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, peas, chutney and brandy. Stir well, then add the drumsticks, pepper and water and simmer, covered until chicken is cooked through.
Corn Paneer
- 250 gms paneer, diced
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2 large tomatoes diced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Red chilli powder to taste
- 2 tsp oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Put corn through food processor to make a thick paste. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, add cumin seeds and allow to splutter. The add coriander, turmeric and red chilli powders and stir briefly. Introduce diced tomatoes. Cook, stirring and mashing well until combined with the masala powders and oil begins to separate. Reduce heat and put in the corn paste and salt. Stir briefly until well-combined. Add in paneer and mix gently. Cook, covered, on medium heat. Serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves.
Kadhai Babycorn
- 2 cups chopped baby corn (either canned or fresh)
- 2 large capsicums (one green and one red), deseeded and chopped finely
- 1 large onion cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 5-6 tsp tomato sauce
- 1-2 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- 3-4 tsp oil
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Dry grind the kasuri methi, coriander seeds and cumin seeds together and make a fine powder.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai and add the chopped onion and the ginger and garlic. When the onions turn translucent, add the chopped capsicums and stir well. Now add the tomato sauce and the dry powder. Mix well and add the cut babycorn. Add water if needed, cover and simmer till almost done (about 10-15 mins). Then add the sugar, salt, chilli powder and the fresh coriander. Simmer for a further five minutes.
Malai Corn
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2 bunches fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves
- 1 cup cream
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- Red chilli powder to taste
- ½ tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp oil
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and sauté onions till colourless. Then add fenugreek leaves and cook gently till the leaves let off their aroma. Then add garlic, red chilli powder and about a cup of water. Cook briefly. Then introduce the corn and cook until a thick consistency is obtained. Finally add cream, salt and garam masala and stir till combined well.