Easy Corn Curry

I know the most popular way to eat corn is on the cob either boiled or grilled and with butter (if you're in the US) or, if you're in India, grilled over an open flame and sprinkled with salt, chili powder, and lemon juice (a perfect salty spicy summer bite - and healthy to boot!). Mm mm. But when corn is in season (and boy, is it in season now!), and you think you've eaten as much grilled or boiled corn as you can handle at your umpteenth barbeque, try this one on for style:

It's particularly perfect for those rainy summer evenings when you don't really want to fire up the grill but you do want that summery sweetness of corn.

This is inspired by my darling grandma Aai's recipe. Of course, when she tells you how to do it, it's all "add enough onions" and "you'll know how much cumin" and "just a little hing [asafoetida]" - how does she know?! - but I've tried to parse out my own recipe a bit here. Adjusting the spices results in whole different creature each time, so be sure to experiment! Some day I'll make this exactly like Aai's (I must ask her if she adds tomatoes - a point of debate between me and my mom), but until then I think this is pretty good for a novice still figuring out how much "enough" of any one ingredient is!

Want to shuck corn "like a midwesterner"? Check out TheKitchn's Tutorial! 

Kansacha Rassa (Corn Coconut Curry)

(serves 4)

Ingredients

2 sweet corn, shucked and cut into 3 pieces each

2 medium onions

1 can coconut milk

2 cups water

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp asafoetida

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

1/4 cup cilantro (for garnish)

Directions

Boil the corn for 15 minutes or until cooked.

Slice the onions thinly. Heat the oil on high, lower the temperature, add the onions, and saute on low until they start caramelizing - don't let them get all the way there, they should just be nice and soft and sweet - mellow, but not caramel sweet. 

Add the spices and saute for a couple of minutes until they release their fragrance. 

Add the boiled corn, coconut milk and water (it should be enough to almost cover the corn), garam masala, and corn, cover, and bring to a boil. 

Add a generous crack of pepper and, if you think it needs to be a little sweeter (perhaps toward the end of summer when the corn isn't quite as luscious), a little sprinkling of sugar. 

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or with the flatbread of your choice - or just have it as a soup if the summer evenings start turning chilly!