I am taking full advantage of corn season right now, and I could not be happier. Corn is one of my favorite vegetables, and the possibilities are endless – from sweet to savory, you can have a full corn menu from appetizers to mains to desserts, and a drink too.
My inspiration for the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry
I get inspiration from the farmer’s market. I visit the market religiously every Sunday, and seeing all the beautiful produce in the market inspires me with creativity in my recipe development.
Corn and shishito peppers are a match made in heaven. The sweetness of the corn compliments the bright, mild and fresh flavor of the shishito pepper. One in ten peppers will have a spicy kick. Shishito peppers are best enjoyed when blistered, imparting a smokey flavor.
The colors green and yellow were on my mind when I got the inspiration of corn koftas, along with blistered and chopped shishito peppers inside the kofta, in a yellow curry, that has been flavored with a mixture of garlic-ginger-jalapeno mixture, along with some whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, and dry spices like ground cumin, coriander and garam masala, along with turmeric.
What are the ingredients for the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry?
The ingredients for the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry are divided into:
Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta:
- Vegetable oil
- Shishito peppers: shishito peppers are in season in the summer, and are mild peppers with a smokey flavor. They are best eaten blistered in oil, sprinkled with Maldon sea salt and a squeeze of lime.
- Boiled potatoes: My favorite hack for boiled potatoes is to peel the potatoes, cut them into quarters, and boil them. It takes about 15 minutes. Much better than boiling the whole potato.
- Corn: Corn is grated on a grater to get that coarse texture, when mixing it into the kofta dough.
- Cumin seeds
- Corn flour: Also called as makai ka atta or makai no lot, corn flour adds texture/flavor to the koftas
- Garam masala
- Salt
- Garlic-ginger-jalapeno mixture: I usually have garlic,ginger, and green chilli paste in my fridge to use in all Indian dishes. Saves me time and effort. Here I have used jalapenos for a milder version.
Corn Curry:
- Vegetable oil
- Whole spices: like bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom pods are added for flavor and fragrance.
- Garlic-ginger-jalapeno mixture
- Red onion
- Corn: here the corn is boiled, and added to the tempering of whole spices to make a corn curry.
- Cashew nuts: Adds body, richness and flavor to the curry.
- Heavy cream or coconut milk: If you want to make this dish vegan use coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
- Salt
- Dry spices: like ground cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric.
How do I make the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta?
The process starts off with blistering the shishito peppers and cooling completely. Finely chop the shishito peppers that will be added to the kofta dough. I prep the corn and potatoes as well, by grating the corn on the cob, and the boiled potatoes using a grater.
Add the other ingredients such as the cumin seeds and garam masala, salt and the garlic-ginger-jalapeno mixture and form a dough with the ingredients.
- TIP: I use gloves to make the dough. It is a much easier and cleaner process, and also helps to form the kofta balls quite nicely.
I use a 2 tablespoon scooper to scoop out even sized kofta balls, that are then deep fried to golden perfection.
- Another TIP: Set them aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain off excess oil.
How do I make the Corn Curry?
The corn curry is really easy. I am not using any kind of tomatoes or red chilli powder in this dish. The color of the dish comes from the corn and the turmeric. We saute whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cumin seeds in oil, until aromatic. Then add the onions and garlic-ginger-jalapeno mixture and saute. Next we add the boiled corn in it along with the cashew nuts and saute.
Heavy cream or coconut milk along with water are added next along with all the dry spices. Cook the mixture for a couple of minutes. Then we remove the bay leaf and blend the entire mixture until it forms a sauce with a smooth consistency. Add it back to the saucepan, along with some water and cook with the lid on for a few minutes.
The corn curry is ready to be plated.
Can I make the corn curry vegan?
Yes, you can make the corn curry vegan by using coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
What is the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry, enjoyed with?
My favorite way to enjoy the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry is with garlic naan, which is readily available at local grocery stores, Whole Foods, or the Indian grocery store. You could also get fresh naan or garlic naan from an Indian restaurant.
What kind of a scooper do I use to shape the balls?
I use a 2 tablespoon scooper from Amazon which is perfect to shape the balls and get the exact measurement and consistency for the kofta balls.
What if I do not have access to Shishito Peppers? What can I use?
If you do not have access to shishito peppers, you could use poblano peppers which are actually readily available at grocery stores. The way to cook the poblano peppers is to cook them on a gas stove directly, and blister the entire pepper. Wrap it up in foil for 10 minutes. Remove the black portion with a knife, and then finely chop the rest of the pepper, and add it to your kofta dough.
How long can I store the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry?
The Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for upto a day.
Some other corn recipes on my blog are:
- Corn and Zucchini Handvo
- Corn and Peach Salsa
- Peach-Saffron and Corn Macarons
- Corn Pakoras with an Heirloom Tomato, Nectarine and Peach Salad
If you make the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog.
XO
Amisha
Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry
Ingredients
Garlic, Ginger, Jalapeno mixture
- 6–8 cloves of garlic
- 2 inch ginger
- ½ jalapeno with seeds
Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 6–7 large shishito peppers
- 400 grams potatoes
- 1 corn shucked, and corn kernels removed from the cob
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup corn flour (makai ka atta)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic-ginger-jalapeno mixture
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Vegetable Oil or avocado oil to fry
Corn Curry
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ stick cinnamon
- 2–3 cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon garlic-ginger-jalapeno mixture
- 1 cup red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup cashew nuts
- 2 corn, shucked and boiled
- 1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
- 1 cup water, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric
Garnish
- Heavy cream
- Blistered shishito peppers
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Garlic, Ginger, Jalapeno mixture
- In a mini food processor, add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno, and grind the mixture until it is finely chopped. Remove into a bowl and set aside.
Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta
- In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, add the oil. After a minute, add the shishito peppers. You will start to hear the sizzling of the peppers. Bring the peppers to a char for 2 minutes, and turn them onto the other side, and char for another 2 minutes. Repeat the process until you see brown blisters around the shishito peppers, roughly about 2 more minutes.
- Set the peppers aside.
- Peel the potatoes, cut them into halves and boil the potatoes in water for about 15 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain immediately and set aside to cool completely.
- Grate the corn on a grater in a large mixing plate/bowl to remove all the corn kernels and the juice as well.
- Grate the boiled potatoes as well.
- Add the cumin seeds, corn flour, salt, ginger-garlic-jalapeno-mixture, and garam masala.
- Finely chop 3 blistered shishito peppers and add it to the mixture. Using gloves, mix all the ingredients well to form a cohesive dough.
- Using a 2 tablespoon scooper, divide the dough into 17~18 balls.
- Take each ball between the palms of your hands and move your one hand in a clockwise direction and the other hand in an anti-clockwise direction to form a round ball. Set it aside.
- Repeat for the remaining balls.
- In a medium saucepan, on medium high heat, add vegetable oil about 3 inches in height from the bottom of the saucepan. Place a plate lined with a paper towel to drain off the excess oil.
- After 5-7 minutes, test by adding a tiny piece of the dough. If the dough rises up immediately with tiny balls around it, the oil is ready for frying.
- Fry about 2 to 3 balls at a time for a minute until the bottom size is light brown. Turn the ball around to brown the other side, for another minute. The ball should look medium brown in color. Remove using a spider strainer onto the plate.
- Repeat the process for all the koftas. Set aside.
Corn Curry
- In a large skillet, on medium heat, add the vegetable oil.
- After a minute, add the bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom pods, and saute for a minute.
- Next add the ginger-garlic-jalapeno mixture, along with the red onions and saute for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and light brown in color.
- Next remove the corn off the cob, and add it to the onion mixture.
- Add the cashew nuts and saute the mixture for a minute.
- Add the heavy cream and ½ cup of water and stir to combine.
- Add all the spices such as salt, garam masala, ground cumin, ground coriander, sugar, and turmeric. Stir to combine and cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the bay leaf, add the mixture into a high speed blender to get a smooth sauce.
- Add the sauce back into the pan along with additional ½ cup water, cover with a lid and cook the mixture on medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover the lid.
- Plate the curry onto a serving plate. Add the koftas into the curry in a circular pattern. Drizzle with the heavy cream.
- Decorate with 4 blistered shishito peppers on top of the koftas.
- Serve with naan immediately.
Notes
Can I make the corn curry vegan?
- Yes, you can make the corn curry vegan by using coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
What is the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry, enjoyed with?
- My favorite way to enjoy the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry is with garlic naan, which is readily available at local grocery stores, Whole Foods, or the Indian grocery store. You could also get fresh naan or garlic naan from an Indian restaurant.
What kind of a scooper do I use to shape the balls?
- I use a 2 tablespoon scooper from Amazon which is perfect to shape the balls and get the exact measurement and consistency for the kofta balls.
What if I do not have access to Shishito Peppers? What can I use?
- If you do not have access to shishito peppers, you could use poblano peppers which are actually readily available at grocery stores. The way to cook the poblano peppers is to cook them on a gas stove directly, and blister the entire pepper. Wrap it up in foil for 10 minutes. Remove the black portion with a knife, and then finely chop the rest of the pepper, and add it to your kofta dough.
How long can I store the Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry?
- The Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for upto a day.
