Chatpata Corn

I had some frozen sweet corn stacked inside the freezer...and it had been quite a time that they are hibernating...so I had to do something. Something...so that they can get back to their short-lived life and can produce a happy snack on my plate. Thinking helped and I made this chatpata corn. Take my advice and replace the sweet corn with charred or grilled fresh corn.

I have made this quite a few times in India. Mostly because I really had nothing to do there other than chopping onions and tomatoes. Grilled corn on the cob has always been my favourite, and since its summer, soon the streets of Kolkata will have lots of vendors with a small moving wooden cart with a small coal oven on top of it, selling raw and grilled or charred corn with a drizzle of lime juice and a sprinkle of sea salt. You can pick your own choice of corn from his open stash and the seller will char it in front of you. Tempting...isn’t it?? I used to buy charred corn on my way home from school or tuition. Those dry yet juicy blistered corn are just the right snack for the coming monsoon!!

Chatpata Corn

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 corn on the cob (The corns should be fresh soft. To see whether they are soft or not just dig in your nail into one of its corn kernel. If juice oozes out of it, it’s soft and not too much mature. If you take a full grown up corn it will be hard to chew.)

Or 1 and ½ cups of sweet corn

1 medium onion – chopped

½ of a small tomato – chopped

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – chopped

Juice of ½ lime

1 tsp oil / 2 tsp butter 

1 tsp chat masala

Salt – as per taste

Method:

Grill the corn cob on the stove top until it has black blisters all over its body. Make sure you grill it well...do not make it too black as then it will taste bitter.

Once the corn is ready it becomes pretty easy to get them out of the cob. Hold it straight and run a sharp knife from the up to separate the corns.

If you are using sweet corn then first first thaw the frozen corn. Then wash it and drain the water. After that heat a little oil or butter in a kadai and lightly saute the corns for two minutes or until all the water evaporates from them and they become dry.

Once done get them into a bowl. Mix in the chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, lime juice, salt and chat masala.

Give a good stir with a spoon and you are ready to dig in!!!