This masala corn recipe makes for a super quick tasty Indian-style snack with tender buttery spiced sweetcorn kernels. You can make it in just a few minutes and it’s vegetarian and vegan-friendly (just one easy ingredient swap).
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⭐Why you’ll love it
- It’s a super quick snack.
- Buttery sweet corn with tasty Indian flavors in just a few minutes!
- It makes a great alternative to popcorn when you’re watching movies (I discovered it at the cinema while living in India).
- It’s easy to personalize according to your taste.
- It’s vegetarian and can be vegan if you use vegan butter or margarine.
If you love quick Indian-style dishes, take a look at this five-minute onion tomato raita, or this five-minute peanut chaat.
🛒Ingredients and substitutions
Butter: Use high-quality salted butter. If you can’t get salted butter don’t worry, you can just adjust the seasoning to taste at the end. If you’re vegan or avoiding dairy, use a tasty vegan butter or margarine, like Earth Balance or Flora.
Cilantro: Freshly chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) is pretty key in this dish. Don’t make it without it, unless you’re one of those people who hate cilantro as it tastes weird and soapy to them, then you can substitute it with half the amount of finely chopped parsley.
Black pepper: Use preground black pepper (powder) here, not freshly ground black pepper.
Black salt: Also called Kala Namak, it’s an amazingly tasty finely ground mined in the Himalayas. If you don’t have it you can use regular fine ground table salt but try to get it.
Corn: I use canned corn for speed and the microwave for speed, but you can also use frozen corn or any cooked corn you have to hand. Just make sure it’s cooked through first on the stovetop in a pan or boil it.
Cayenne pepper: About an eighth of a teaspoon here will give a very mild bite – think child-friendly – or a quarter will make it quite spicy but feel free to adjust the amount up or down. Don’t substitute with chili flakes or sauces.
Chaat masala: This is an amazing addictive spice mix (key to my 5-minute masala vegetable sandwich). My favorite is MDH Chunky Chat Masala but you can use any brand’s version, or make your own.
Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice and adjust to taste.
Optional add-ins
If you love masala corn but would prefer to make a more filling recipe like corn chaat, add a quarter cup of finely chopped red onion, and a quarter cup of finely chopped seeded tomatoes, and over the top, sprinkle some (or all) of these:
- Crumbled paneer, feta, or cotija cheese
- Crushed peanuts
- Unsweetened puffed rice.
👩🍳How to make it
Step 1: Rinse the canned corn and drain well. Add to a microwave-safe bowl and top with the butter.
Step 2: Microwave for between one and a half to two minutes, stirring every thirty seconds until the butter has melted and the corn is hot. Mix well.
Step 3: Chop the cilantro and add it to the bowl along with all the other ingredients (chaat masala, black pepper, cayenne, black salt, and lemon juice).
Step 4: Mix well and taste. Adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into small bowls or paper cups and serve hot with small spoons. Enjoy!
💡Expert tips
- If you don’t have a microwave you can just add the sweetcorn and butter to a non-stick saucepan and heat on medium on the stovetop instead until the butter has melted and the corn has heated up.The quality of the corn is very important in this recipe, so splurge a bit on a good brand.
❄️Storage
Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to four days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. Just remember the cilantro will wilt slightly.
I don’t recommend freezing masala corn.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Nothing really, not in this recipe. I recommend buying it or making your own. If you really must, you can try substituting it with half the amount of garam masala and afterwards add it to taste.
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📖 Recipe
Masala Corn Recipe (3 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 2 cups corn (I use canned)
- 1 Tablespoon butter or vegan butter/spread
- 1 Tablespoon cilantro fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1 pinch ground cayenne
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon black salt or regular fine salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- If using canned corn, rinse and drain well. Add to a microwave-safe bowl with the butter. Cook on high for between one and a half to two minutes, stirring every thirty seconds until the butter is melted and the corn is hot.
- Mix the sweetcorn and butter well.
- Finely chop the cilantro and add. Add all the other ingredients (chat masala, cayenne, black pepper, black salt, lemon juice) and mix well.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve in small bowls or paper cups with spoons. About half a cup is one serving.
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