Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Corn Bhel | Perfect Summer Snack

I remember seeing two or three bhuttewallas in Bangalore when I came first. It was my first winter here and was seeing a streetside grilled corn and vendor was very new. But definitely times change. I remember the steam corn vendor stall at a popular supermarket that I frequented and these days I also see ready to eat corn packets  and even instant steamed corn on cob in a nice packaging. 

I know they are timesavers. I too have enjoyed them . But all it takes is just few minutes for you to steam your frozen corn and add salt and seasonings of your own rather than buy preservative laden ready to eat ones. Even frozen sweet corn now comes in various spiced up versions.

The lure of such things is very big though most of the time (truthfully) I prefer to steam corn in my own kitchen anytime. Recently I tried out corn bhel and it was pretty easy and very filling. You can actually add whatever items you need with the spices you like. 

Ingredients:

Frozen Corn : atleast 1 cup
Tomatoes: 1 medium size deseeded and chopped into smaller than bite sizes
Onion: 1 medium finely chopped

Lemon juice :as per taste (avoid if using dried mango powder or raw mango pieces)

Spice Powders as per taste:
Chaat Masala: 1/2 tsp +/-
Salt & Black salt: as per taste
Chilli Powder: 1/4 tsp +/-
Cumin Powder: a pinch (optional)

Additions:

Raw Mango: few pieces based on taste
Potaotes: boiled peeled and chopped
Sprouts: raw/lightly blanched

Preparation:
Steam corn in a steamer or other appropriate dish for 5-10 minutes while you get other ingredients chopped and ready. You can also blanch corn in salted water for few minutes instead of steaming but I prefer steaming.Else microwaving for 3 minutes also works wonders.

Add to it tomatoes -deseeded and chopped, finely chopped onions and other additions as you prefer. I added chopped raw mango pieces after lightly peeling the mango. This adds a touch of colour and tang. Add salt, chilli powder and chaat masala as per taste and mix well. Do add the cumin powder and black salt based on how spicy you want your chaat.

On the other hand if you do not have chaat masala, definitely add black salt, cumin powder and even a pinch of amchur or dried mango powder.

Add lemon juice, mix well ,taste again,adjust the spices and serve as a healthy snack or side.



This is very filling snack and perfect for those tetimes when you crave for something and dinner is a long time away. You can add several optional ingredients like sprouts, potatoes etc and even experiment with different seasonings and the regulation chutneys that are a part of bhelpuri, the popular streetside snack.

As always there are several versions for several tastes but make sure you make your own version and given here is my way. I suppose being a salad this qualifies for Lisa's NCR: Vegetarian soup,stew & salads this month.

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