Corn Manchow Soup

(Soup with vegetables and corn)
Serves: Four

Time required: 30 minutes

For the sweet corn soup:

• 4 sweet corn cobs

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 small onion, grated

• 1 lt water

• 40 g cornflour, made into a paste with a little water

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tsp sugar

• a pinch of ajinomoto (optional)

For the Manchow soup:

• 1 tbsp French beans, diced

• 1 tbsp cabbage, shredded

• 20 g carrots

• 1 tsp butter

• 1 tbsp ginger paste

• 1 tbsp garlic paste

• 1/2 tsp green chillies, finely chopped

• 1 tsp finely chopped onion

• salt and black pepper to taste

• 1 tsp vinegar

• 1 tsp soya sauce

To prepare the sweet corn soup:

GRATE three of the four cobs to achieve a 'cream' like consistency. Cut the remaining piece off the cob and add to the 'cream'. Set aside. Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the grated onion. Add this to the corn mixture. Add the water and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Add the cornflour paste, salt, pepper, sugar and ajinomoto (if using).

Note: This sweet corn soup can be served as is. You can also add boiled, shredded chicken or boiled vegetables to make it fresh sweet corn chicken or fresh sweet corn veg soup.

To prepare the Manchow soup:

Boil the French beans, cabbage and carrots and set aside. Heat the butter in a pan. Stir in the ginger and garlic pastes, green chilli and chopped onion. Sauté. Add the vinegar, soya sauce, boiled vegetables and salt and pepper and sauté for two minutes.

Pour the boiling plain sweet corn soup into the above mixture. Mix well and remove from heat. Serve steaming hot.

Cheese Corn Balls

(Cheese and corn fries)

Serves: Four

Time required: 45 minutes

For the cheese corn balls:

• 150 g boiled sweet corn kernels

• 200 g processed cheese, grated

• 200 g potatoes, boiled and mashed

• 100 g capsicum, cut into small pieces

• salt to taste

• 1 tsp white pepper powder

• 1/2 tsp cornflour

• 1 tsp refined flour (maida)

• 1/2 tsp oregano

• oil for frying

• 4 tbsp breadcrumbs

For the batter:

• 4 tsp maida

• 1 tsp cornflour

• water as required

To prepare the corn cheese balls:

IN a bowl, combine the cheese, potato and capsicum. Add the sweet corn kernels to the mixture. Add the salt, white pepper, oregano, cornflour and the refined flour. Mix thoroughly. Divide and shape the mixture into tiny balls. Set aside.

To prepare the batter:

Mix the maida and cornflour with sufficient water to make a thick consistency.

To make the corn cheese balls:

Dip the corn cheese balls in the batter and roll them in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the corn cheese balls.

Serve hot with green chutney or sauce.

Malaysian Cup Corn

(A quick steamed corn snack)

Serves: Four

Time required: 15 minutes

• 500 g corn kernels

• salt to taste

• a pinch of oregano

• 25 g butter

STEAM the kernels in steamer. And add the oregano, salt and butter. Mix well. Serve hot.

Mahabaleshwar Makkai Patties

(Corn patties)

Serves: Five

Time required: 1 hour

• 100 g sweet corn kernels

• 500 g potatoes

• oil for frying

• 50 g onion, finely chopped

• 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

• salt to taste

• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

• 1/2 tsp green chilli paste

BOIL and mash the potatoes and set aside.

Heat a little oil in a pan and sauté the onion and ginger-garlic paste. Add the kernels and continue to sauté.

Add the salt and red chilli powder and green chilli paste. Mix well and set aside. This is the corn masala.

Using your fingers, shape the mashed potato into cups. Stuff portions of the corn masala into each. Seal the edges and shape each into a tiny ball. Flatten the ball with your fingers to form patties.

Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the patties. Serve with tomato sauce and green chutney.

Corn Coleslaw

(Corn and veg salad)

Serves: Five

Time required: 20 minutes

• 20 g corn kernels, steamed

• 75 g cabbage, shredded

• 40 g French beans, chopped and parboiled

• 40 g carrot, chopped and parboiled

• 75 g tinned pineapple slices, diced

• 200 g yoghurt

• 20 g salt

• white pepper to taste

• 20 g sugar

IN a serving bowl, mix together the corn kernels with the cabbage, beans, carrots and pineapple.

Beat the yoghurt and add the salt, white pepper and sugar to it. (Note that the curd should not be sour to taste). Add the vegetables and corn to the yoghurt, mix well and keep in the refrigerator to chill. Serve chilled.

Bhutte Ka Khees

(Corn in milk gravy)

Serves: Five

Time required: 30 minutes

• 5 medium-sized fresh corn cobs

• 4 tbsp pure ghee

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

• 2 tbsp ginger paste

• 1/2 tsp green chilli paste

• salt to taste

• 1 cup milk

• 1 sprig coriander, finely chopped

• 1/4 coconut, grated

GRATE four of the corn cobs, cut the other into pieces. Set aside. Heat the ghee in a pan. Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and ginger paste. Sauté for two minutes. Add the corn mixtures, chilli paste and salt. Mix well. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves and grated coconut. Serve hot.

Garlic Baby Corn Mushroom

(Corn and vegetable stir fry)

Serves: Four

Time required: 30 minutes

• 100 g fresh baby corn, julienned

• 200 g fresh mushrooms, cut into halves

• 1 tbsp butter

• 75 g garlic, finely chopped

• 1 tsp paprika

• salt to taste

• 1/2 tsp oregano

• a few drops vinegar

• 1 tsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

STEAM the baby corn and mushroom such that they are half cooked. Set aside.

Heat the butter in a pan, add the garlic and sauté. Add the half cooked baby corn and mushroom and mix well. Sprinkle with the paprika, salt and oregano. Stir fry and remove from heat. Sprinkle the vinegar over and garnish with the coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Note: This dish is a good cocktail snack.

Corn Dum Biryani

(Basmati rice cooked with corn and vegetables in 'dum')

Serves: Eight

Time required: 1 1/2 hours

• 1 kg Basmati rice

• 30 g ginger

• 30 g garlic

• 50 ml corn oil

• 300 g onion, chopped

• 250 g potato, chopped

• 100 g French beans, chopped

• 200 cauliflower, chopped

• 100 g capsicum, chopped

• 50 g salt

• 80 g red chilli powder

• 25 g khada masala - a mix of bay leaves (tej patta), cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and black pepper seeds

• 20 g powder masala - mix of cumin powder, jaipatri, cinnamon and cardamom powders

• 1 kg sweet corn kernels (chunks)

• 350 g yoghurt

• 1 kg sweet corn on cob, cut into slices of about 5 cm thickness

• 50 g ghee

For the garnish:

• 1 slice each of onion, tomato, lime

• 1 sprig coriander leaves, finely chopped

WASH and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Parboil the rice and set aside.

Make a paste of the ginger and garlic and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan; add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté. Add the chopped vegetables (onion, potato, French beans, cauliflower and capsicum) and sauté for three minutes. Add the salt, chilli powder, khada masala, powder masala, sweet corn kernels and yoghurt. Bring it to a boil such that it forms a gravy. Add the sweet corn cobs to the gravy. Mix well and add the parboiled rice to the gravy. Spread the ghee on the rice.

Place the biryani on Dum (see box) for about 30 minutes. Garnish with slices of onion, tomato and lime and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Helpful Notes

What Is 'Cooking Under Dum'?

It actually means allowing the food to cook under pressure in its own steam. This is different from pressure-cooking. To cook under dum, the pan should be covered with a well-fitting heavy lid and sealed with wheat dough (atta) along the edges so that the steam does not escape.

Did You know...

• That a corn cob always has an even number of rows?

• That there is one piece of silk to each kernel?

• That each corn spiklet produces two florets - one fertile and one sterile?