Thursday, July 19, 2012

Please Don't Call Them Corns


I beg you, please don't call them corns. It is called corn, whether it's one seed, hundreds or the whole unit. They are kernels. Corn kernels. But to keep it simple, and correct, you can just call it corn. Now corns, on the other hand, or foot, to be more precise, are ugly things that affect feet. You can see several such pictures here (and inevitably there is some corn there as well).

But speaking of non-ugly things, here is a pretty corn salad that I made recently. I seem to remember coming across a recipe for it in a Maharashtrian cookbook but when I checked that book today, I couldn't find it there, so I guess I must have read it somewhere else. I remember the recipe mentioned grating the corn and adding some onion and green chilli to it.

I made it quite differently, though.


I steamed two corn cobs, let them cool and then scored them roughly across the kernels after which I sliced the kernels off.

Then I added a handful each of grated coconut and chopped coriander and finished it off with a sprinkling of salt and lime juice.

Another variation is to steam the corn with some salt and not add any more later - this makes for a much sweeter version. I'm on a minimal-spice kick nowadays and this really doesn't have any spice, but it is succulent and filling.


Bon appetit!