Baby Corn Masala (Vegan)

Baby Corn Masala is a semi dry curry made by tossing stir fried Baby Corn in a North Indian style tomato masala gravy.

I’m all into Baby Vegetables this week. First came the baby potatoes simmers in a delicate creamy gravy a.k.a Punjabi Dum Aloo. In case you missed it, check it out here.

Now it is the time for Baby Corn to shine in this super simple Vegan Baby Corn Masala.

I go through phases in my cooking. One week it is the all down to earth pure South Indian meals with simple vegetables cooked in their own juices with just a simple tempering of mustard, green chilli and curry leaves and finished off with a generous helping of grated coconut. Ah! I just LOVE love love fresh Coconut. I even made Raj get me some fresh Coconut oil from Karkala and it tastes amazing.

Anyway, my next week is all full blown Masala curries or other cuisines I love – Italian, Chinese or Thai. This last week was full on North Indian week. I’ve been busy making grilled Paneer, Punjabi Dum Aloo and now Baby Corn Masala.

Now this recipe is very similar to most North Indian curries you have made and very similar to the Vegatable Jalfrezi that I made earlier (which was super AWESOME, btw). 

It is made by sautéing onions, ginger-garlic paste and tomato puree until the oil separates. But don’t be upset if this never happens for you. It rarely happens when I cook too. For oil to separate, there needs to be sufficient quantity of oil in the pan before you add the ingredients, and I usually skimp on the oil. As far as you fry it sufficient enough, the oil-no oil should not be any problem. 

Then add the tomatoes and cook them until oil “separates”, but seriously, don’t worry about it separating, just as long as the tomatoes are cooked and the flavor has intensified, you should be good to go.

I stir fried the baby corn separately and added it. I’ve found that baby corn never softens, no matter how much I cook it. I like that in a way, since I don’t need to worry about over cooking it, but sometimes I wonder if I’m doing it wrong. But I’m still okay with it since it tastes great with that crunch.

This Baby Corn Masala tastes really good with Naan bread or Roti. 

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Punjabi Dum Aloo - Baby potatoes simmered in a creamy yet vegan tomato based sauce.
• Vegatable Jalfrezi - Mix vegetables in a tomato based sauce.
• Baby Corn and Capsicum Masala - Baby corn and capsicum cooked in a restaurant style masala gravy made with browned onions.

Baby Corn Masala

Semi-dry North Indian style curry made with Baby Corn tossed in a tomato based masala gravy.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

18-20 Baby corn cobs
1 large Onion
1 large Tomato
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala or Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds or Jeera
4-5 tsp Oil
1/4 cup Water
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Cut the baby corn cobs into chunks.
Heat 1-2 tsp of oil in a pan. Once it is hot, add the baby corn and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat and keep aside.
Chop the onion finely and puree the tomato.
Heat the remaining oil and add the cumin seeds.
Once the cumin seeds brown slightly, add the onions and fry until translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the tomato puree and cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add all the spices and salt. Mix well. Cook on low heat for another 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add the fried baby corn and the water. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rotis.