CHATPATA CORN CHAAT

CHATPATA CORN CHAAT

There are many times when a snack can change your mood, one such snack is the snappy very Indian Chatpata Corn Chaat. There is no apt description in English for Chaat which is such a popular street food all over India, though it originated in Uttar Pradesh. Today, you will find hordes of people eating them in road side eateries, malls and of course in their own homes.

Here's how to rustle up this easy to make any time snack! For best results, get a fresh cob of corn. While some people make their own chaat masala powder at home, I have used the store bought Catch brand of Chaat Masala. Likewise, for the garnish, I used store bought Sev which is an Indian savoury made of besan or chickpea flour.

Ingredients:

• Cob of Corn, large-sized, 1 OR 1 cup of Corn Kernels
• Tomato, finely chopped, 1
• Onion, small- sized, finely chopped, 1
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 2-3 tsp
• Lemon Juice, 2 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Catch Brand Chaat Masala Powder, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Sev, for garnishing

Method:

In a pressure cooker, cook the corn cob in water to which salt is added for 1 or 2 whistles or till the corn is well cooked 

Once the cooker cools completely, remove the corn cob from the cooker and take out the corn kernels

In a salad bowl, mix together the corn kernels with the onion, tomato, coriander leaves, chilli powder, salt and chaat masala powder

(While adding salt, remember that the corn has already been cooked in salt water)

Mix well and then add the lemon juice 

Toss and mix thoroughly 

Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with a little Sev (a crunchy Indian savoury) and some finely chopped coriander leaves.

MAKAI PALAK: SPINACH CORN CURRY

MAKAI PALAK: SPINACH CORN CURRY

I loved this spinach corn curry dish adapted from Maayeka that wonderful blog run by my friend, Anjana Chaturvedi. She is originally from Uttar Pradesh and has a lot of delicious recipes in her blog.

Ingredients:

• Spinach ( Palak), 2 bunches, 500 gms
• Corn kernels, boiled, 2 cups
• Tomatoes, 3
• Green Chillies, 4
• Ginger, 1 tsp
• Lemon Juice, 2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Sugar, a pinch
• Turmeric, 1/3 tsp
• Garam Masala, 1/3 tsp
• Kasoori Methi, 1 tsp
• Fresh Cream, 2 tbsp (optional)

For tempering:

• Cooking oil, 2 and 1/2 tbsp
• Butter, 1 tbsp
• Cumin, 1 tsp
• Green cardamom, 3
• Cloves, 3
• Cinnamon, 1/2 " piece
• Bay leaves, 2

Method:

Remove the spinach leaves from their stems and wash them in several changes of water
Heat sufficient water in a pan and add 1/3 tsp of sugar to it
When it boils, add the spinach leaves and cook for a minute
Transfer the spinach leaves immediately to a bowl of ice cold water as this helps to retain its bright colour
In a mixer, grind the spinach leaves to make a puree. Keep aside
Next grind together tomatoes, green chillies and ginger to make a paste. Keep aside
Heat oil and butter in a thick-bottomed kadhai. When it gets hot add the cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves
When the cumin seeds sizzle, add the tomato- green chillies paste, and turmeric powder
Saute till the tomato puree starts leaving the oil
Now add spinach puree, crushed kasoori methi, and the boiled corn
Simmer for 2 minutes
Add salt, sugar, garam masala, fresh cream and simmer for a minutes * I chose not to add the fresh cream.
Lastly, add lemon juice, mix well and and serve hot with jeera rice, chappatis or puris.

** Can use 1/2 cup of fresh milk instead of fresh cream
** Can use 1/2 cup of fresh fenugreek leaves in place of kasoori methi

BAKED CAULIFLOWER WITH CORN: GUEST POST BY SHYAMALA KINI

BAKED CAULIFLOWER WITH CORN: GUEST POST BY SHYAMALA KINI

Here's another in the series of guest posts that I have on this blog. This one comes from my friend, Shyamala Kini, who runs "Konkani Amchi Food", one of the most successful Foodie Groups on Facebook.

Today, Shyamala shares with us her recipe for the delicious Baked Cauliflower with Corn. Try it out for yourself . You will agree this is indeed her signature dish. Thanks so much, Shyamala.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower, medium-sized, 1
• Maida, 2 tbsp.
• Butter
• Milk, 1 glass
• Cream, 1 spoon
• Salt, to taste
• American corn, 1 small cup
• Garlic flakes, 1 tsp
• Chilli flakes, 1 tsp
• Fresh Pepper Powder, a pinch
• Oregano, a pinch
• Grated Cheese, 1 Amul cube
• Bellpepper, cut into rings, 1
• Cheese, 3 slices for topping

Method:

First cut the cauliflower and steam it for 5 minutes

For making the white sauce: take the maida and roast it in butter for about 3-4 minutes and allow it to cool. Next add one glass of milk and keep stirring. Add 1 spoon of butter and 1 spoon of cream, then add salt to taste.

Next, add the steamed cauliflower pieces and American corn and mix well

Add salt to taste, chilli flakes, garlic flakes, oregano, and fresh pepper powder

Mix well

Add 1 cube of Amul cheese and mix well again

Now pour this to a greased vessel and top it with 3 more slices of cheese

Garnish with bellpepper rings

Grill the dish for 15 minutes

Serve with garlic bread.

CORN ON THE COB

CORN ON THE COB

India has a wide variety of street food and corn on the cob ( popularly called " bhutta") is one of the most popular. It is best had when it is roasted for you on a charcoal fire. The vendor applies a rich coating of masala to give you a delightful snack.

We had this at home yesterday when it was raining heavily outside. The monsoon in Bangalore, where I live, brings in a charm of it's own, provided of course that you are safe and snug at home. Hot corns on the cob followed by piping hot coffee (which makes your lips burn after eating the spicy corn) adds to this charm.

If you have got stuck in the rain and got soaked to the bone or got caught in one of those many traffic jams that make driving in the city on a rainy day such a horrible experience, you can always make up for that bad experience by having hot corns on the cob on getting home!

It's simple to make and tastes great. How much spice you add to it is entirely up to you. I have two options to eat corn on the cob. One is with a hot, green chutney that I make specially for the corn, but yesterday we settled for a mix of chilli powder, salt, and lemon juice.

The best way to eat the corn is to place it in a bed made of its own leaves that you have peeled as you would a banana, you then bite off the hot corn while holding the small bit of the stem that you retain.

Ingredients:

• Cobs of Corn, with fleshy kernels, 2
• Lemon,  1, cut into wedges
• Salt, 2 tsps or to taste
• Red chilli powder, 1 tsp or to taste

 Method:

• Roast the corn over a flame on your stove. See that it is evenly roasted. Avoid the corn getting charred.
• Prepare a mixture of the salt and the red chilli powder. The ratio is dependent on your individual taste.
• Coat the corn with the mixture of salt and red chilli powder making sure it is evenly coated
• Rub the entire corn with the  wedges of lime
• Serve hot

CORN AND SPINACH

CORN AND SPINACH

The beauty of cooking is that each recipe can be given a personal touch. In the olden days when there were no books, leave alone internet, I guess recipes passed from one generation to another purely through word of mouth. Later came the era of books, and many, including me , made copious notes of recipes they came across and cut recipes from magazines and journals. In today's world, sharing a recipe happens in a jiffy, thanks to the different forms of social media.

A couple of months ago, we were doing some entertaining and I wanted a recipe which incorporates two of my favourites, corn and spinach. I was delighted to find one readily available on You Tube from the famous Indian culinary expert, Sanjeev Kapoor's " Khana Khazaana."

Here is the link to the short video with the recipe for "Corn and Spinach."
The only change I have made is that I have not garnished it, as suggested, with 4 tbsp of fresh cream. I thought this would make it too rich for our requirements.

We had this with rotis and it was quite delicious. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.


Ingredients:

• Fresh spinach leaves, blanched and pureed, 1 kg
• Corn kernels, boiled 2 cups
• Oil, 2 tsp
• Green chillies, chopped, 5
• Garlic cloves, chopped, 6-8
• Salt, to taste
• Garam Masala Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Lemon Juice, 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a khadai
Add green chillies and garlic cloves and saute for 1/2 minute
Add the blanched and pureed spinach leaves and salt
Saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes
Add garam masala powder and lemon juice
Simmer for 1  minute
Stir in the boiled corn and add salt
Serve hot
* Garnish with 4 tbsp of fresh cream

PALAK AND CORN CUTLETS

PALAK AND CORN CUTLETS

This makes an interesting snack which is reasonably filling as it is made up of spinach (palak), corn, potatoes and bread. It can be used as an evening snack with tea, or as an appetizer before dinner.

You can form them into attractive shapes. Today, I have used the heart shaped form.



Ingredients:

• Palak (Spinach) chopped and cooked, 1/4 cup, 
• Sweet Corn,  cooked, 1/4 cup,
• Bread slices, 6
• Potatoes, boiled and mashed, 2
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Chaat Masala Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Rava (Semolina), for dusting
• Pepper,  to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, for shallow frying

Method:

Chop and cook palak and corn separately. Mix them together well by hand.
Add salt and pepper as per your taste. Keep aside.
Dip the bread slices in water and remove them immediately. Squeeze out all the water from the bread slices.
Crumble the bread slices, add the boiled and mashed potatoes, a bit of salt, chilli powder, chaat masala and garam masala powder
Mix all this well and form small round balls
Flatten them and place a little of the palak and corn mixture in its centre. This forms the filling for the cutlet. Cover well to make a ball. Shape these as per your choice. Rounds or heart shaped are most common.
Dust them lightly with rava (semolina) and shallow fry on the tawa till crisp on both sides.*
Serve hot with ketchup or sweet tamarind chutney.

* Should you wish to deep fry the cutlets, you can use bread crumbs to dust them, instead of rava.