Indian-style spicy corn salad- a quick and easy summer salad flavored with Indian spices. Also known as masala corn, this vegan corn salad gets ready in just 10 minutes and can be enjoyed as an appetizer too.
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Corn salad is a very popular summer side dish that's loved by almost everyone. But, if you have got bored of a regular corn salad, try this delicious and refreshing Indian-style corn salad which is also known as masala corn.
It's made by mixing boiled corn kernels with onion, tomato, cucumber, hot chili peppers, fresh herbs, fresh lime juice, and Indian spices.
This easy corn salad is vegan and gluten-free.
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Ingredients needed for Indian corn salad
To make this easy Indian style corn salad you will need the ingredients shown below:
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
- Boiled corn kernels: In Indian corn salad, corn kernels are boiled for a few minutes before using. You can boil fresh as well as frozen corn.
- Cucumber: As I have used Persian cucumber which has soft and thin skin, I have not peeled it. However, if you use Indian cucumber, it's better to peel it. Also, remove the seeds of Indian cucumber, if they are hard. Long melon (kakri) can also be used.
- Herbs: I have used only cilantro. Fresh mint leaves can also be added for extra freshness. You can also add spring onion greens or scallion to this corn salad.
- Roasted cumin powder: Don't use unroasted cumin powder, it tastes completely different. In Indian salads roasted cumin powder is used. You can easily make it at home by dry roasting cumin seeds on a griddle until they become fragrant which will take 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Allow them to reach room temperature then grind to make a powder.
- Chaat masala: It's a blend of Indian spices which is used in a lot of Indian street food recipes and salads. It tastes slightly sour and slightly savory.
- Salt: In Indian salads generally, black salt is added instead of regular salt. If you don't have black salt, use regular white salt or Himalayan pink salt.
How to make (step by step instructions)?
Step 1: Finely chop all the vegetables, herbs, and green chilies.
Step 2: Put boiled corn kernels in a large bowl.
Steps 3 and 4: Add all the spices, salt, and vegetables.
Step 5: Squeeze fresh lime juice.
Step 6: Toss. Check and adjust the seasoning.
Your easy Indian-style corn salad is ready to be enjoyed.
Serving suggestions
This spicy corn salad can be served cold as well as warm.
Serve it as a side dish or enjoy as a healthy snack.
It can also be filled inside your wraps or added to Buddha bowls.
Can it be made in advance?
After adding salt and spices the vegetables start releasing moisture which makes the salad taste stale.
Once made, it's better to consume the corn salad within 2 hours.
If you want to do some preparation in advance, boil the corn kernels, chop all the vegetables and herbs. Don't add lime juice, salt, and spices in advance.
Recipe tips and tricks
- Don't overcook corn kernels.
- Instead of using boiled corn kernels, grilled corn kernels may also be used.
- If your heat tolerance is low, remove the seeds of green chilies before adding them to the salad.
- For a quicker recipe, use canned corn kernels which are pre-cooked. However, before adding them to the salad, rinse them to get rid of the metallic taste.
- To make an extra spicy corn salad, add some chili flakes too.
- You may also add finely chopped bell peppers to this salad.
- Finely chopped pineapple also tastes great with corn.
- For extra flavor, add a few teaspoons of mint chutney to the corn salad.
- Instead of regular tomatoes, you can use cherry tomatoes too.
Frequently asked questions
Though both chaat masala and garam masala are Indian spice blends, the spices used in each of them are different. Chaat masala is generally added to street food dishes, salads, and some appetizers whereas, garam masala is added to curries, pulao, biryanis, etc.
Though not a very popular way of making Indian corn salad, you can use canned corn kernels in this recipe, if you don't have fresh or frozen corn.
Black salt which is also known as kala namak is a volcanic rock salt produced in the Himalayan region. It has a pungent sulfurous taste and smell. It's used in a lot of Indian recipes and people in this region also eat fruits by sprinkling some black salt on them.
More easy corn recipes
Looking for more easy corn recipes from around the world? Don't miss checking the following recipes:
More Indian salad recipes
Want to try more Indian salad recipes? The following links are worth checking:
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Recipe
Easy Indian corn salad(Masala corn)
Equipment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiled corn kernels
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped tomato
- ¼ cup finely chopped cucumber
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- Juice of ½ a small-sized lime adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon chaat masala
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
- Black salt to taste
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Toss well and enjoy!
Notes
- Roasted corn kernels or canned corn kernels can also be used in this recipe.
- If you are using Indian cucumber which generally has thick skin and seeds, peel the cucumber and remove the seeds before chopping.
- Black salt tastes the best in Indian salads and chaat but you can also use regular white salt or Himalayan pink salt too.
- More easy recipe tips and tricks are given within the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
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