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Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Mexican Corn Salad ~ Esquites

What I intended to be a brief pause in blogging to coincide with my kids' summer holidays and our trip to India ended up being a longer break than I planned. When even my daughter has started wondering recently why I haven't been doing 'my cooking' thing anymore, I realized it was high time to take care of my virtual home and so here I am finally. 

Today's recipe 'esquites' is a simple yet popular fare from the streets of Mexico. It happens to be a vibrant hued corn salad with the undertones of smoky (thanks to charred corn kernels), spicy and tangy flavors. The word 'esquites' comes from the Aztec word 'izquiti' which means toasted corn. According to wiki, there seems to be another variation to this salad's preparation where the corn kernels are first boiled and then sauteed in butter with onions, chilies, epazote and salt. Then it is served hot in small cups and topped with lime juice, chili powder or hot sauce, salt and mayonnaise. 


I didn't follow any recipe in particular since all the versions I found online were basically the same. This is a slight different take over Indian "corn chaat' recipe. In this method, corn kernels are sauteed until charred all over and then tossed with other ingredients to create a flavorful medley and then served warm. Mexicans use a cow milk based cheese called cotija in this preparation. Feta cheese happens to be a great substitute for this hard, crumbly and salty cheese. Similarly substitute sour cream for mayonnaise if you don't consume the latter.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil (I didn't use any.)
2 ears fresh corn
1 tbsp. mayonnaise / sour cream
1 tbsp. finely crumbled feta cheese / cotija cheese 
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion greens
2 tbsp. finely minced cilantro
1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
Lime / Lemon juice to taste

Directions:
* Remove the husks and the silks from each ear of corn and remove the corn kernels with a knife. Heat a tbsp. of oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Add corn kernels and salt to the skillet. Toss a couple of times to combine and cook without moving until charred on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss corn, stir and repeat the process until it is charred on second side as well. Continue tossing and charring until it is uniformly charred all over.

(The above stove and iron skillet method is what traditionally used to prepare the corn for esquites. However I directly toasted the corn on stove-top directly placing one ear of corn using tongs against the flame, until it was slightly charred uniform through out. And removed the corn kernels using a knife.) 
* Transfer the toasted corn kernels to a mixing bowl. Add sour cream, cheese, scallions, cilantro, jalapeno. garlic, lime juice, chili powder and salt if not used before. 
* Toss the ingredients to combine. Taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. Serve immediately.

bmlogo

This goes to blogging marathon #93 with the theme of recipes from countries that start with the same alphabet, "Pick one alphabet - 3 countries". My choice of alphabet this week is 'M' and my first post is from Mexico. Check out the page here to read what other marathoners are cooking.

Comments

13 comments:

Gayathri Kumar said...

It is nice to visit your blog after a long break, Suma. Welcome back. This salad looks so colourful. The preparation is quite unique and I love that charring part. It must add a lot of flavour to the salad..

Rafeeda AR said...

Hehe... I like that reference of "cooking thing". My kids refer to the same, ummi aren't you clicking? Hehe... The salad looks delicious, definitely would be a winner with my girls...

veena said...

Wow!!I amin love with that corn picture. Salad looks refreshing

Pavani said...

Hi Suma, same pinch for 2 things - coming back from hiatus after Summerfield and choosing M as your letter for the theme :-) I made Esquites too and I loved how sweet, smoky and absolutely delicious this Mexican corn salad tasted.

Harini R said...

Hope you had a great summer, Suma. This sounds like a very different take on corn chaat as you mentioned. I am always skeptical to try feta. But the combination of ingredients is very tempting.

Priya Suresh said...

Simple yet a delicious salad, i can have these sort of nutritious salads anytime of the day.Esquites sounds like my kind of food.

Sandhya Ramakrishnan said...

Look at those charred marks on the corn. Looks so delicious. I would love to have a big bowl of it as my evening snack.

Padmajha said...

Love the charred corn taste and with a squeeze of lime, it is the ultimate street food. This Mexican version sounds equally delicious!Tempting clicks Suma.

Chef Mireille said...

looks like you and Pavani have the same idea - what a vibrant fresh salad and I LOVE corn

RITU TANGRI said...

Corn in any form is always welcome. This Mexican corn salad with mayo and feta cheese must have tasted awesome

Srivalli said...

Welcome back Suma, its good to have you back. This salad looks so sinful and such a fantastic choice!

CookwithRenu said...

I love corn and this bowl of corn chat looks so yummy. Just want to grab from the screen.

Priya Srinivasan - I Camp in My Kitchen said...

In my place my lil one will ask me if he doesnt get anything fancy "why aren't you blogging"? he,he!!!
Love the salad suma, looks simple and coloful, a delicious snack anytime!:)