3 recipes with fresh corn | corn pakoda, corn idli and boiled corn on the cob

The Indian corn or maize or bhutta, makki or chhalli as we call it locally can be a good choice for dieters, even when you feel like eating something fancy. Street food style or even something fried for a while. Just separate the grains from the cob, crush them in the mixie and refrigerate or freeze if you have extra. It makes the snack really quick even if you want a corn pakoda, corn idli, bhutte ka kees or even fresh corn polenta. We love whole corn on the cob roasted or even boiled with some seasoning or chutney.

fresh corn
 
This is a post intended for a few friends who wanted some healthy home made snacks ideas including fried ones, using whole grains. I will be posting more but since corn is in season and we have been hogging over it endlessly I thought why not to share corn recipes first...........

Corn is in season and we are getting them abundantly in this part of the world. Sweet corn is more visible in Delhi though but whenever I find the Indian corn on sale I buy at least a couple of kilos even if they are not the best milky soft ones. The more mature ones keep well in the fridge for long, dehusked and wrapped in cling film. All the recipes here are made with the mature almost dryish corn kernels Softer milky ones are best suited for grilling on the gas flame or to make bhutte ka kees or upma that we love. That recipe some other time.

First of all I will address the fried version of corn, called pakode or fritters. We have grown up eating something fried almost everyday, it is only later in the life we realize that the sedentary lifestyle does not allow us to eat as much of fried food as we actually would like to. It's a major craving for those on diet to have pakode of some kind, I have posted a few versions of shallow fried pakode earlier and have received great response for them. Corn pakode is something which does not soak up oil even when deep fried, if made cautiously. See how...

Grind the corn kernels without using water in the chutney grinder, with seasoning of your choice to this consistency...

fresh corn recipes

It will be coarse and starchy and when you press it in your fist it binds, when you corner a portion of the mixture with a spoon it takes it's shape, and that's how I fry it.

fresh corn pakoda

No fancy ingredients, you can use your kind of flavors and spicing, whatever you are feeling at the moment, after all it has to satiate your cravings for fried food.

I used the following ingredients ........

corn kernels 2 cups
ginger 1 inch piece
green chillies 4-5 nos.
cumin seeds 1 tsp
black pepper corns 1 tsp
salt to taste

grind everything together and proceed to fry. never add any chopped onion or chopped curry leaves etc in this mixture as the fritters get porous and absorb oil while frying.curry patta can be a great addition but grind with the corn if using for flavor.

To proceed  just scoop out with a spoon of appropriate size, roll the scoop in the spoon pushing the mixture to the wall of the container making a dense ball, this way it will be less porous, and drop in hot oil to fry. It gets cooked with a couple of minutes and becomes crisp on the outside while remaining soft n pillowy inside. Perfect to soak a hot tangy chutney up.

fresh corn pakoda

Interestingly, I started making idli with this mixture first, that was about 8 years ago because I love steamed dishes and this corn idli was something very very north Indian in flavours and yet steamed like an idli which I love for it fluffy pillowy texture. It was a heavenly discovery for me when I started.

But the husband likes everything fried so I started frying the same mixture and it was a hit. The same thing goes well with both of us. See how....

fresh corn pakoda and fresh corn idli

For making the idli (I do it super fast) spoon in the SAME mixture into a small glass or ceramic bowl, microwave for a minute on high covered ...that's it.

Repeat to make more idlis or place many bowls together n adjust timing accordingly. I don't like using the plastic microwave idli set, one reason because it is plastic and secondly because I have to clean a lot of its parts after cooking.

When you are making just a couple of idlis this is the best way..........

fresh corn pakoda and fresh corn idli

Soft porous corn idlis without fermenting the mixture. The fiber content of corn makes it possible, though the mixture can be fermented too and it tastes a bit different. Also the idli can be flash fried in hot oil when it just out of the microwave. It will take seconds to brown and almost no oil.

Howzzat ??

fresh corn pakoda and fresh corn idli

The chutney here is made with tamarind extract, steamed or roasted tomatoes, red chillies, garlic and salt. Decide for yourself how hot and how tangy you want at the moment and enjoy with just anything.

The chutney keeps well for a week in the fridge.

fresh corn pakoda

Boiled corn on the cob is another option, it is a common street food in India, as is the roasted corn on the cob (bhutta as it is called locally). The corn on the cob can well be roasted on the gas flame directly, and then can be seasoned with either butter and salt n pepper or with lemon juice and salt n pepper .

Roasted corn is more suited when the corn is soft, that is, when the kernels are milky and juicy. Whenever you find the corn kernels starchy and dry boiling in the pressure cooker is a better idea. Boil with salt and water (and a pinch of soda bicarb if the corns are too hard) and then smear with any chutney or spice mix of your choice to enjoy a healthy snack.

I boiled it and smeared with the same chutney and it was awesome in taste. .. hot and sour chutney and a bit chewy corn kernels bursting with flavor........

boiled fresh corn

This is the kind of food which makes sure you don't feel deprived and starved, fills up and satiates your senses. Both the appetite and the palate.

Makki ki roti and saron da saag is a north Indian delicacy using the flour of dried corns. Super healthy but it is up to you whether you want to load it with ghee and butter or make it with minimal fat as that will be an ideal main course food for dieters any day.

what do you think ??

Comments

  1. wow, those fritters are great !!! Loving them, will surely try them once :)

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  2. Lovely and excellent post. Like the variations you gave to my fav. Corn. Thanks for all these beautiful recipes.

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  3. I have no words to tell you how much I love your recipes. I am gonna try this right now. Its so simple and its made in a microwave, wow.

    Thanks so much for sharing such lovely recipes with us.

    Have a great day ahead.

    regards

    Shiva

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  4. fritters look tempting and that's an interesting tip about not adding onions. You seem to be madly in love with corn :-)

    of all the 3, my mouth waters for the fritters.

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  5. Thanks everybody...

    @ FCGS...have fun with corn n tell me how it turns out.

    @Devasena... more than me it is my husband who loves corn , one of the few healthy ingredients he really loves ... i like the idli most , try it once at least.

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  6. excellent post Sangeeta. love this idli idea. I sometime add fresh crons in the pakoda batter but complete corn pakoda looks delicious.

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  7. A perfect tea time snack. Wonderful pictures

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  8. Hope you are doing very well...This snack looks absolutely stunning..I just made a steam version of this...which we call Makkai na dhokla...My post is not new, its a repost from last year..as I am busy with some other priorities....and my co-blogger Sadhana, left a2z since a while now..so there is no new post of late..will be soon back with a bang..

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  9. Thanks Muskaan ...
    i would love to try that makai dhokla , post that soon on your blog.

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  10. very tasty
    love the corn and everything made from corns.

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  11. I adore the corn too. They look yummy!

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  12. looks delicious and tempting!!

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  13. surely a healthy one..looks yummie especially the corn idlli...very new and innovative dish..thanks for sharing!

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  14. These corn dishes looks so good and tempting. Book marked.

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  15. Oh yummy! Glad I visited you! Hopped over from Grannies&Ripples.

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  16. We miss out on small things which make a lot of difference to the end product. Thanks for sharing your tips on deep-frying. The chutney smeared corn sounds like the perfect thing to snack on during the rains.

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  17. I love corn, and I love the look of those crispy corn fritters. I bet they are delicious.
    *kisses* HH

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  18. First time here and I m glad that I made it...Luv'd the idli version of corn....definitely going 2 try it..bookmerked...visit my space when u get time..

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  20. Thanks for all the fabulous corn ideas! I love the photograph with the tea - makes me hungry for breakfast! :)

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  21. lovely :). Have got corns, am going to make these... Looks like I'm also tilting towards the pakodas ;-) Tried corn on the cob with green chutney and it was a hit :), though I felt the chutney didn't get smeared that well... Waiting for dhoklas and parathas.... Mum used to make stuffed parathas, and I miss them the most during these season.... Wud luv to try them... Howz ur trip coming up?

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  22. I think, I grinded the corns a little extra and it has bcome watery.... Tried making fritters but it was soaking too much of oil, tried shallow fry also, but not done :-(. Any suggestions, what can I add to it to make the paste more manageable. Was thinking of adding maida/besan/daliya, then didn't want the taste of the corn to be diluted. I also have cornmeal, should I add that? btw, am getting fresh sarson/bathua in this season in this part ;-).

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  23. Yeh corn pakodas to aaj hee banana padega :)
    Woderful post, like always... so many alternate healthy ways of using a humble ingredient... liked it very much

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  24. @ Puja ....I have answered your query personally but wanted to make it clear here that very soft Indian corns are not suitable for these recipes which require grinding the corn kernels , the milky sap of the kernels makes it watery after grinding . Very soft corns are fit for roasting on the flame or just steaming or boiling them .
    I make a sweet dish with very tender corn n will post that if i find those.

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  25. The pakodas look heavenly. I love the idea of making them without adding any gram flour to bind the mixture.

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  26. Good recipes..
    here is one more ..I call it Maize chutney.
    Boil a cup of corn kernels with salt to taste.
    Drain,cool and grind coarsely with 2 chillies,a bit of tamarind,a dew springs of coriander,a little of grated coconut. It tastes wonderful!
    Aarathi.

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  27. Thanks Aarathi...the chutney sounds great. I will try it sometime.

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