Spicy Corn Chaat

Spicy corn chaat happens to be my final post of the week under 'snacks' theme. This sweet corn based snack can easily keep the hunger pangs at bay during the evening hours. It can be prepared in no time and can be eaten without any guilt. It is light, vegan and gluten free. Feel free to omit sev to make it a zero oil recipe and onions can be omitted too if one doesn't like to pair corn and raw onions. Drizzle some green chutney and sweet chutney to make it more chatpata. Finely chopped green chillies would be also a great addition to make it more spicier. The corn can be lightly sauteed in a small amount of butter if preferred before adding spice powders but personally we don't like that flavor here.

Ingredients: (2 to 3 servings)
2 corn on the cob / 1.5 cups of corn kernels
Salt and/or black salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste 
Chaat masala to taste
Lemon juice to taste
1 small red onion, finely minced
1 small tomato, finely chopped
Minced cilantro to garnish
Fine sev to garnish

Directions:
* If using fresh tender corn, transfer them to a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle some water, cover and steam them in a microwave, for about a minute or as needed. If using frozen corn, they can be boiled alternatively.
* Drain any water used to corn. Add salt, spice powders and lemon juice as needed and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. 
* Divide the mixture in 2 or 3 serving bowls. Add onion and tomato pieces to each serving bowl. Garnish with sev and cilantro and serve immediately.

So far in the BM # 104 series of 'Indian Sweets and Snacks', 

First week - Sweets
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai
Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa
Elaneer Payasam
Godhuma Sojjappalu

Second week - Snacks from Gujarat
Damni Dhokla
Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia
Dal Pandoli

Sev Khamani

Methi Khakhra
Pressure Cooker Khandvi

Third Week - Snacks
Bafauri
Soy Beans Guggillu / Sundal

Jhal Muri

Roasted Phool Makhana
Kalmi Vada Chaat

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104.

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V for Venezuela ~ Cachapas

 
Event: BM #44, Around the world (A - Z Series)  
Choice of Country: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Capital City: Caracas
Official Language: Spanish 

I am moving to Venezuela today for the "Around the World in 30 days", an alphabetical based global culinary tour. It is a South American nation situated on the northern side of the continent and it's cuisine is influenced by it's indigenous people and the European ancestry. The cuisine is varied and greatly reflects the climatic contrasts and the diversity in culture among it's people. Food staples include corn, plantain, yams, rice, beans and meat. 

During my recipe hunt for this marathon, I realized that plantains, yuca and corn are an integral part of Latino cooking. And so I made it a point to cook three dishes based on these ingredients which were simple and kid-friendly - Yuca fries, patacones and these cachapas. Like baleadas, these pancakes were a super-hit with my  
daughter.
 

Cachapas are fresh corn pancakes topped with cheese and they are a popular street food in Venezuela. These traditional pancakes are made using fresh corn dough or wrapped in dry corn leaves and boiled. They are served at breakfast or as an appetizer at homes. The most common and simple variety is made by grinding fresh corn into a thick batter. These thick, lumpy pancakes are traditionally eaten with a soft cheese from Venezuela called Queso de Mano and occasionally with fried pork. Mozzarella or feta cheese can be substituted in absence of Queso de Mano. Cachapas may also include different kinds of cheese, cream or jam.
(Source:Wiki)

Ingredients: (makes 4)
2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen)
Salt to taste
3 tbsp masa harina (I substituted it with corn flour.)
Oil to make cachapas
1 cup Venezuelan cheese / shredded mozzarella cheese

Method:
* Grind corn kernels and salt to a thick, coarse paste in a food processor. Add masa harina / corn flour and pulse to incorporate.
* Heat a nonstick pan and pour a ladleful of batter. Don't spread but just using the back of the ladle, shape into a circle.

* Add 1/2 tsp of oil around the edges, cover and cook until golden brown spots appear on the bottom side. 

* Uncover the pan and carefully flip the cachapas without breaking.

* Cover and cook again until it turns golden brown on the other side too.
* Top with about 1/4 cup of cheese and cover until the cheese has melted.

 * Repeat the process with the remaining batter and serve immediately.
 
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An InLinkz Link-up

Corn Dhokla

 

Dhokla is a mildly savory, vegetarian dish that originated in the Indian state of Gujarat. Well made dhoklas are usually soft and spongy and can be a great meal for anytime of the day, though they are usually treated as a great snack / breakfast. This traditional, guilt-free dish can be made in two ways - The first one is using a fermented batter which of course involves some preparation ahead and the other way is a quicker version where batter is instantly fermented using Eno fruit salt. A paste of ginger - green chillies, salt, turmeric powder and baking soda (in case of fermented batter) are added to the fermented batter and poured into a greased thali and steamed. Thali being a stainless steel plate with high edges. A seasoning of toasted mustard seeds, sesame seeds, green chillies is poured over the steamed dhokla and then garnished with cilantro and coconut. 
 
Dhoklas are nutritious and filling besides being delicious. They are usually cut and served as small squares along with green chutney and sweet chutney. If not for the chutneys that are served as side dishes, the dhoklas are mild on their own and can be served for little ones as well. Though "chickpea flour/besan" based dhoklas are the most popular among the instant variety kind, there are other interesting variations to choose from.
For instance, like this no-ferment, instant version corn dhokla, I came across at Tarla dalal's website. I like toasted corn but somehow not a great fan of corn in cooked dishes. I had so some initial reservations regarding this recipe as I was not sure how this dhokla would smell / taste because of the corn used and how they would turn out in terms of texture. However it turns out that I was fretting over nothing. These dhoklas are really good as the recipe promises and a quick one to put together. Unless someone mentions, one wouldn't know these are corn based ones and so if one is looking for ways to sneak in some corn in their cooking then this is a perfect dish.
 
Ingredients: (2 - 3 Servings)
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup semolina / rava
2 - 3 green chillies or as per taste
1/2 cup yogurt / curds
Salt to taste
1 to 1.5 tsp Eno fruit salt
1 tsp lime / lemon juice
Oil / ghee for greasing the bowl
Ingredients for garnishing:
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp of coriander leaves

Method:
* Blend corn kernels, green chillies and yogurt to a smooth paste and transfer it to a mixing bowl.
* Next add semolina, salt and about 1/2 cup of water to the grouns paste and mix well. Leave the mixture to rest for about 10 - 15 minutes.
* Just before steaming, sprinkle fruit salt, lime/lemon juice and a tbsp of water over the batter. Mix the batter gently when you start noticing the effervescence. 
 
* Immediately pour the batter into a greased thali (a stainless steel plate with deep edges) / circular cake tin of about 6 - 7 inches in diameter.
* Shake the thali gently to the spread the batter evenly.
 
* Place the thali in a steamer and steam on medium flame for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a tooth pick / a knife inserted comes out clean. If using a pressure cooker to steam dhoklas, remember to not put the whistle on.
* Cool slightly and run a knife around the edges of the cooked disc.
 
* Reverse the thali / dish you used to steam onto a wide plate and gently tap it. The cooked dhokla would unmold itself.
* At this point, you can pick any one of the options below to garnish, though I would greatly recommend the second one. Toasted sesame seeds and mustard seeds add a nice crunch to the spongy dhoklas.
1. Just garnish with minced cilantro and 2 tbsp of fresh shredded coconut if you wish and slice into squares.
2. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and sesame seeds. When mustard seeds start to crackle, turn off the stove and pour the contents over the steamed disc evenly. Next garnish with minced cilantro and cut into squares before serving.

  

These are on their way to

1. BM# 43 under "Dhoklas" theme.

2. Srivalli's "Kids' Delight" event, hosted by Harini this month with the theme "Healthy Snacks" 

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Corn Vadas / MokkaJonna Vadalu

I had so many corn recipes in mind for the third day of BM that I kept contemplating on what to cook until the last moment. However an occasion at home yesterday called for these super yummy vadas. Your's truly, you know who turned an year older yesterday. :) Back home, it was an unwritten rule that my dear mother had to cook bisibelebhath and masala vadas on my birthdays. Surprisingly, I never craved for sweet dishes on my birthdays though I had / still have a big sweet tooth. Keeping up the tradition, I cooked BBB yesterday and was looking for an alternative to vadas as I had not thought of soaking chanadal.

The first thing that came to mind were these corn vadas, suggested by one of my aunts during my last India visit. She had reiterated that they really taste good and I need to give them a try. Her recipe didn't include besan but I had to add it for binding since my batter was little on the watery side. These fritters taste similar to masala vadas and if you are going to use frozen corn and a food processor like me, the batter is a breeze. It takes only a couple of minutes,  literally to prepare the batter. A great recipe when you have impromptu guests or in a mood for a quick, savory snack.  

Ingredients: (Yield 12 vadas)

2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen corn.)

2 green chillies (I used Serrano peppers. Adjust if using other variety.)

A handful of cilantro leaves

Salt to taste

1/2 cup besan / chickpea flour

1 onion - finely chopped

Oil to fry

 

Method:

* Place the corn kernels in a bowl with 1-2 tbsp of water and boil in microwave for a minute. Drain the water.

* Add the corn, chilies, cilantro and salt to a food processor or a blender and grind them to a coarse paste without adding water. Transfer the ground paste to a bowl.

* Add besan and onion to the bowl and mix well. 

* Heat oil in a small frying pan / kadai.

* Take a small portion of the batter (about 1.5 tbsp. size) onto your left palm, slightly pat it and gently drop it into the hot oil. Repeat the step with the remaining batter. Drop as many patties as the pan could hold without overcrowding.

* Fry them on low flame, turning them around once or twice in between until they are cooked through and turn brownish.

* Remove them with a slotted spoon and serve warm. 

 

This is going to be a part of BM #35 under the theme of "Cooking with Corn". Check what other marathoners are cooking here.

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Makai Palak

This has been on my "to do" list for years now and the "corn" theme this week for the marathon seemed like a perfect opportunity to try it. It's a simple and quick subzi to put together, even though one may get intimidated by the list of ingredients in the recipe. It is a yummy side dish that goes well with rotis / parathas and is on the similar lines of the ever popular palak paneer.

Ingredients:
1 cup corn kernels (I used frozen corn.)
1 big bunch spinach (I got a little more than 1 cup puree)
2 - 3 green chillies (or as per taste)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp. kasuri methi
1 big onion, chopped roughly
1 inch piece of ginger
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
1/2 cup milk / 1/2 cup yogurt

Preparation:
* Grind onion and ginger to a fine paste.
* Wash the spinach leaves along with the tender stems. Bring 6 - 8 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan adding 1/2 tsp of sugar. Add the spinach and the chilies. The sugar aids in retaining the vibrant color of spinach. Blanch for a minute, drain and refresh in cold water. Drain in a colander again. Grind them along with kasuri methi to a fine paste in a food processor. 

The cooking part:
* Heat oil in a saute pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to change a few shades darker, add the onion paste and saute until light brown.
* Add turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, amchur and garam masala. Stir well and cook for a minute.
* Next add corn, spinach puree and salt. Cook for about 3 - 5 minutes.
* Add milk / yogurt at the end, stir and remove from heat.
* Serve hot with rotis.

Note:
Tomatoes can be added in place of amchur. Add 2 chopped tomatoes  / tomato puree after the onion paste is fried and saute until the oil gets separated.

This is going to be a part of BM #35 under the theme of "Cooking with Corn". Check what other marathoners are cooking here.

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Cashew - Corn Rice

I usually don't take my daughter into account when preparing rice dishes. She straight away rejects rice dishes except lemon rice on the pretext of them being spicy and almost never touches them. Sometime back, I saw a corn rice dish on one of the TV shows and was impressed after noting how simple and quick the preparation was. I somehow had a hunch that my daughter at last may like a rice dish without complaining. 
When I am doing the kid centric recipes this week during the marathon, I thought of including a rice dish as well since many Indian kids carry rice for their lunchboxes. I tried the cashew-corn rice today and the daughter as usual wasn't in a mood to try. When I insisted that it was made mildly and exclusively for her, she relented and tried. After the trial, we both concluded that it was a tasty dish. It is a easy lunch box recipe prepared with minimal ingredients and such simple, delicious dishes definitely will come handy during time crunches. This can cater both kids and adults just by adjusting the spice level. Feel free to add garlic if preferred.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
1/2 cup Basmati rice
1/4 cup corn
2 Tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp cashews 
1 small green chili and / or 1/2 tsp black pepper 
Minced cilantro to garnish.

Method:
* Cook rice adding a cup of water in a pressure cooker / electric rice cooker / sauce pan.
* Cook corn. I used frozen corn and zapped in a microwave for a couple of minutes with little water.
* Add cumin to ghee and toast until they start to darken. Add cashews and fry until golden brown. Next add finely minced green chili / garlic if using and saute for few seconds. Then add corn, rice, salt and black pepper if using. Mix well. Garnish with cilantro and serve. 

Check what other marathoners are cooking during this month long marathon.

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Chocolate Popcorn Trail Mix

I am here with a trail mix on the third day of blogging marathon #7, with the theme "microwave dishes". It happens to be a yummy mixture of chocolate drizzled popcorn, fiber rich wheat cereal, dried fruits and nuts. This kid snack mix can be put together under 5 minutes like yesterday's dessert. A quick, easy and fiber rich snack to munch on, anytime. I used no butter, no sodium popcorn prepared in my microwave.  I did not use any seasonings since I was planning to drizzle drench the popcorn with chocolate sauce.

How to pop corn in a microwave:
Popping corn in a microwave is quite a simple process. One Tbsp of corn kernels yield about a cup of popcorn. Place about 1/4 cup of corn kernels in a paper bag, fold over the top twice or thrice and put the bag in the microwave. Cook until you stop hearing the popping sound. It takes usually around 70 - 90 seconds for 1/4 cup kernels to pop. Remove the bag and your plain pop corn is ready.

Now let's move on to the chocolate popcorn trail mix. One is only limited by imagination / creativity when it comes to granola / trail mixes. Add whatever you find interesting, appealing and nutritious in your pantry to create your own signature dish. Today, I happened to add wheat squares, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, sultanas and a sweetened, dried berry mix to the popcorn and drizzled it with melted, semi sweet chocolate. 

Ingredients:

2 cups popcorn

2 cups toasted wheat cereal

1 cup any dried fruit

1 oz (Baker's) semi sweet baking chocolate (I doubled the quantity and it is not necessary.)

The 'how' part:

* Microwave chocolate on HIGH in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until it melts completely.

* Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn, cereal and dry fruits mixture. Gently toss the mixture to evenly coat.

* Spread into single layer on large sheet of wax paper and cool.

Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking today.

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