Corn and Shishito Pepper Kofta in Corn Curry
Scale
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
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.