In my humble opinion, corn is the superior vegetable. Like any typical midwesterner, I grew up next to a corn field and my grandpa was a corn farmer… who’s shocked? What can I say, a corn dish just feels like home. When I first started a plant-based lifestyle, one of my very first dishes I made was corn curry. That first bite of sweet and spicy curry made me stop dead in my tracks and think… I could do this for the rest of my life. That’s what daunting though, right? The idea that something is forever, and what if we aren’t cut out for forever. That was one of my fears when I started to go plant-based 2 years ago. But at the end of the day, you just need to follow your heart and jump in with both feet. Don’t let the fear of not leading a perfectly vegan or plant-based life stop you from trying and exploring a different way.
Roasted Mini Corn
One of my favorite ingredients in this recipe’s is the mini corn! If you have never cooked with mini corn, well then hot damn, today is the day. You certainly do not need mini corn and can stick to canned corn or even cutting some fresh corn right off the cob. I gravitate towards the mini corn stalk addition because of how beautiful it makes the dish. The presentation of a dish if so important to me. There’s some chemical reaction that must go off in your brain when you eat beautiful food. My mood skyrockets and suddenly I’m dancing through the kitchen. You may need to go on a hunt for the mini corn, but I can promise you two places you will definitely find it- an asian supermarket and Trader Joes.
A great tip I read of a few years ago from one of my favorite food bloggers, Deliciously Ella, was to roast the mini corn in the oven before adding it to your curry. Coat the mini corn in some olive oil and salt, then pop it in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-20 minutes. I am a self declared broil-addict. The last few minutes I’m cooking anything in the oven, I tend to turn that broil flame on and watch my product develop that beautiful slightly black char to it. Especially with this dish, it will really bring that rustic roasted feel to the plate. And you know we’re all about creating a vibe here.
What’s in Garam Masala?
Any good curry is going to be loaded up with an array of spices. When I think of India, I think of street stalls at the day market overflowing with cardamon pods and cinnamon sticks… that’s how we want our kitchen to smell. There are a few directions you may take when seasoning your corn curry. You can mortar and pestle up some fresh spices, individually add each spice, or season with a premade all-in-one spice. For the sake of convenience, we are going to use an all-in-one for this recipe. Garam Masala is an Indian spice mix usually containing all the essentials like…
- Peppercorns
- Cumin
- Cardamon
- Cinnamon
- Coriander
- Mace
What’s in Curry Seasoning?
Since we are on the topic of spice mixes, lets talk about another favorite of mine- curry seasoning. When we break down these spice mixture, we realize just how many spices we are using, but this is Indian food! That is the name of the game. Curry powder is an all-in-one mixture of…
- Black Pepper
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Cumin
The Perfect Side Dishes
Most curry’s go great with a side of rice and this is no exception. You can’t go wrong with a traditional basmati white Indian rice. But hey, lets get wild… you are simply never going to regret spending a little extra time making a batch of fresh naan to dip in this curry. I just made naan for the first time 2 months ago and it changed my life. Now I’m spoiled and I don’t ever want store bought again. I followed Rainbow Plant Life’s vegan naan recipe on youtube and served this masterpiece to my friends… safe to say it was a hit.
This corn curry has a little bit of sweet and a little bit of spicy. It’s a great balance, and I highly recommend serving this to your non-vegan friends as it is sure to blow their minds. What can I say? Good food is good food.
Happy travels… I mean cooking!
