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• Spicy Sweetcorn with nuts

  I’m always searching for tasty side dishes for curries, so that I can use them as part of a thali or for a quick meal. Something different, easy and yummy.

  People. Here it is.

  You can use any kind of sweet corn – frozen, tinned or fresh. This recipe also contains peanuts, but you could substitute them with cashew nuts or almonds if you prefer. There’s something moreish about the crunchy sweetcorn and cooked nuts combined with the chilli heat and spicy taste that had me addicted to it fairly quickly. If you’re catering for vegan or vegetarian guests along with meat eaters, this would be a general crowd-pleaser. It’s ready from start to finish in 15 minutes.

  The recipe calls for you to top it with Sev which is basically the spicy fried chickpea sticks that you get in Bombay Mix, which add even more yummy crunch. My advice to you is: seek it out.

  You will also need some asafoetida which is a resin used extensively in Indian cookery. It’s flavour is somewhere between garlic and onions and even though it has a very pungent smell similar to truffles, the flavour it gives to dishes can’t be replicated. It’s very cheap to buy in Asian food stores and usually comes in little plastic yellow tubs. While you’re in the Asian food store, you can get some Sev, too!

  Spicy Sweetcorn with nuts

  Drain 2 x 300g cans of sweet corn.

  First prepare a fresh paste to use in the curry:

  In a mini chopper or with a stick blender put between 1 and 5 green chillies (I used 3) chopped roughly and de-seeded if liked, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 large cloves garlic chopped roughly, a small piece (half a thumb) of ginger– peeled and roughly chopped and large pinch of turmeric. Add a small amount of water to enable you to whizz it all to a paste. When the paste is smooth, add 50g raw, unsalted peanuts (preferably still in their skin) and very briefly whizz. You don’t want to do anything more than very roughly chop the peanuts as they add a lovely crunch.

  Chop 2 handfuls of coriander (or parsley if you prefer) and set aside along with 2 tsp white sesame seeds.

  Have all of your ingredients to hand, ready to add to the saucepan quickly

  Heat a large saucepan or wok with a glug of oil and add 1tsp black mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop and release their flavour, add a generous pinch of asafoetida closely followed by the drained corn. Turn up the heat to high and stir fry for a minute so that the sweetcorn takes on a little bit of colour.

  Use a large saucepan or wok to give the corn plenty of room to take on some colour

  Add the paste, coriander and sesame seeds and stir well before turning the heat to medium low. Leave to cook uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the raw garlic smell disappears. Taste and add a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and add more salt if necessary. Turn off the heat and cover. Leave for at least 10 minutes so that all of the flavours can get to know each other. You can also make this ahead of time and re-heat when required.

  Serve sprinkled with Sev and a freshly made buttered chapatti. Seriously good.