AdiRuchi

We were able to purchase some fresh corn from our store. So I ended up hunting for some fun recipes on the web to make use of the corn. One of the recipes that I really liked was corn soup by Munjulas Kitchen. The part that was great to me was that she did not use any cream in this recipe. Here is how I made it.

Ingredients:
- 3 corn (I used fresh corn)
- 1/2 cabbage shredded
- 2 carrots chopped finely
- 1 small tomato chopped - squeeze out any excess juice
- 1/2 a onion chopped
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp jeera
- 1 tsp oil
- salt to taste.

Method:
1. Remove the husk and steam the corn till they are soft. Use a knife to remove the kernels. Keep a handful aside. Blend the rest to a smooth paste.
2. In a hot pan add oil and jeera. Once the jeera splutters add onion and cook till it becomes slightly brown. Now add the carrots and cabbage and cook they are soft to touch.
3. Traditionally you will strain the corn and get the juice with none of the pulp. Instead of doing that I just added the blended corn to my carrot and cabbage mixture. This will taste more chunkier then your regular soup.
4. Mix your corn starch with 1/4 cup of water and add it to the soup. Add another 2 -3 cups of water, salt and pepper and bring this mixture to a boil.
5. After the soup has thickened to the consistency you prefer add the chopped tomatoes. Let it boil for a minute or two. Turn off the heat and serve this hot.

It makes a great lunch with just some breads to accompany it. Sending this recipe to Bookmark Tuesday and also to Dish Name that Starts With C hosted by Akila of Learning to cook.

We had a very hearty chili and corn muffin for our lunch. It was easy to put together and it tasted great. Here is the recipe..

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn meal
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk (I used low fat milk)
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/8 cup oil

Method:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl beat the egg well with milk and oil.
2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir till they are all well combined.
3. Finely chop the jalapeño pepper and add it to the corn bread mixture. Stir in the cheddar cheese.
4. Grease your muffin tins. Pour the batter so the tins are half full. Bake in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes. Ovens vary in heat so check it after 18 minutes.

Serve it hot with chili.

Ingredients for Chili:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 3 bell peppers (any color is fine), chopped
- 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
- 2 tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups pinto beans boiled
- 2 fresh corn boiled and kernels removed

Method:
1. In a croak pot add oil and the onions. Sauté till the onions become transparent.
2. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and sauté for a few minutes.
3. Now add the tomato and let it boil till they become tender. Add all the spices (cumin powder, chili powder, pepper powder, oregano, salt) and beans. Pour 3 to 4 cups of water and reduce the heat to simmer.
4. After it has cooked for at least 45 minutes add the fresh corn. Now allow it to boil for another 20-30 minutes. The more it simmers the better it tastes. So if you start it in the morning reduce the heat and let it simmer the whole morning.

Serve it with some fresh cheddar cheese and tortilla chips on the side. You can dip the corn muffin and eat the soup with it. It is definitely a satisfying lunch or dinner.