Spicy Corn Tartlets And Three Of My Favourite Things

I love baking. I love taking nice pictures for my blog. And I love corn (particularly the sweet American corn niblets. The kind that come in a tin. Yes I know. They are unhealthy. But I still love them, okay?). But when all three things come together and perfectly for one post ... my day is made.

Eden restaurant in Chennai serves up this awesome spicy corn on toast. It is a great tasting dish but rich. I am sure they are very generous with their cream and butter. This spicy corn recipe is based on that. I made it purely from tasting the one at Eden.

I have to say, at the cost of blowing my own trumpet, it turned out exactly like theirs. Tasted just the same. But instead of serving it up on toast, I made these little tartlets and served it as an appetizer at a recent dinner. They went like hot cakes. I ran out of them even though I made more than five dozen. There were other appetizers too. There were only 8 guests. Enough said.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Tarts -

200 grams All Purpose Flour

100 grams ice cold Butter

A pinch Baking Powder

For the Corn filling -

1 tin Corn Niblets

1 tablespoon All Purpose Flour

1 cup Milk

1 tablespoon Butter

1 Onion chopped really finely

2 Green Chillies chopped fine

2 tablespoons Tomato Puree

1/4 cup Cream

Salt to taste

METHOD:

For the tarts:

Sift the baking powder and flour together.

Cut the butter into pieces and mix into the flour using fingertips till it resembles fresh breadcrumbs.

Gather into a dough. If very dry, add ice cold water a teaspoon at a time till a dough is formed. You will not need to much water so be very careful while adding the water.

Press out thinly into the tart moulds. Bake at 180 deg C for about 12-15 minutes till a light golden brown.

For the filling:

Melt butter on a slow flame and add the green chillies and onion.

When well fried, add the flour. Fry well and add milk in a steady stream taking care not to allow lumps to form.

Cook till thickened and a saucy consistency is obtained.

Add the tomato puree and cream and cook well.

Add in the corn niblets.

To serve -

Spoon the filling into the tarts. Serve hot.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!

Corn on Toast

Some days the kids come home with a heartfelt request. "Mom, I don't want regular food. Can't I have something different and yummier to eat?" It is always such a challenge. We have to get the fine balance of yummy and nourishing bang on. That's after all a mother's job. But I guess, sometimes its ok to have just a hearty snack even if it is not that nutritionally sound.

But nice and easy AND quick have to be the hallmarks of most things we make. One of the easiest snacks that I have made has to be corn on toast. It is hot, very filling and very easy on the tastebuds. And corn being the ultimate comfort food, the kids love it. And this recipe is pretty open to any amount of tweaking to suit personal tastes.

Ingredients:

2 cups corn steamed/boiled till done. (Can use corn niblets too. That does not need any steaming and tastes even better)

2-3 onions, chopped finely

1 green chilli chopped finely

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 to 1 1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon italian seasoning (I use the sachets that come with the pizza order)

1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper powder

4- 6 tablespoons grated cheese (I use Amul)

Method:

Heat butter on a medium flame. Add chopped onions and green chilli.

Fry till onions turn translucent.

Add the flour and fry for about a minute till it get gets cooked but not brown.

Add milk, stirring all the time so that there are no lumps.

Let it cook for about 10 minutes till it thickens and a saucy consistency is reached. Add the salt, pepper, seasoning and chilli flakes.

Let it get to be thick and not very liquidy(?). It should have the consistency of thick idly batter or thick cake batter.

Now add the cheese and stir till it melts.

Add the corn at this stage.

Serve hot on buttered toast.