CORN trition delight

My fondest memory of monsoon is huddling under an umbrella with my best friend, watching the golden embers of coal flicker in the grey windy sky as we impatiently wait for the corn vendor to hand us a perfectly roasted delight. One bite of the cob and we would forget all about our drenched clothes. It is sad we won't experience that again this year but it doesn't mean we can't still enjoy corn in other ways.

You can have corn in the form of a chaat, cooked with vegetables or add it as a topping to your favorite meals. Most people universally think corn is a vegetable. Hold on! Before you decide to think this and convince yourself that you are eating your vegetables for the day, let me remind you that corn is considered to be a whole grain. This means that it is looked at equivalent to wheat, rice and other grains. In-fact corn supplies us with required carbohydrates as well a good amount of fibre.

Corn may rank high in terms of flavour but it ranks quite high in terms of its nutritional composition. Vitamin A precursor Beta – carotene is what gives corn its yellow hue and is responsible for your sparkling vision and golden glowing skin which all ladies desire. Antioxidants like Zeaxanthin and Lutein help in cell repair which is essential in wound healing and reducing inflammation by scavenging on free radicals. Free radicals are often cited as causes for heart disease, cancer, atherosclerosis and many other diseases.

To keep you revitalised and in high spirits corn has Vitamin B3, B5, B6 and B9 in abundance. Corn also carries in its tiny kernel, a fair share of protein which helps strengthen muscles.

I have already elaborated on how great corn is for you but it would be foolish of me to not tell you how you could be eating it wrong. Corn should not be accompanied with other cereals and grains. Also be cautious of eating corn along with cruciferous vegetables like cabbage cauliflower and broccoli as well as any whole pulse as this would lead to flatulence and bloating.

I love to do a vegetable based soup plus a side of vegetables and accompanied with a corn on the cob or my corn pancake. Do try it out ladies for your family!

Corn pancake Ingredients

♦1 whole corn corb

♦1 tbsp chickpea flour

♦1/4th cup spring onion chopped

♦ ½ tsp oregano

♦½ tsp chilli flakes

♦1 tbsp cow's ghee

♦ salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Grate off corn kernels from the cob and blend with little water.

2. Mix the seasonings, corn batter, spring onions

and chickpea flour with water till you get a pourable batter.

3. Grease a pan with cow's ghee and pour a ladle of batter over it.

4. Cook the pancake till the edges crisp up.

5. Serve hot with some home-made tomato salsa.