Corn Chaat Recipe | Sweet Corn Chaat

Chaat for an Indian is not just a dish, but an emotion. Literally, a ‘chaat’ would mean ‘to lick‘ or ‘to taste‘. True, because you really can’t stop yourself from doing so once you indulge in this mélange of flavors. The same goes for this Corn Chaat too. It may be wholesome and simpler than the rest, but still is perfect. This vegan Corn Chaat recipe is a tangy amalgamation of steamed/boiled sweet corn tossed with crunchy onions, tangy tomatoes, flavorful chaat masala, fragrant herbs and earthy spices.

Corn and rains, a love affair

Corn cobs have a special place in India as the quintessential monsoon snack, where the produce is roasted on charcoal till well charred, then slathered optionally with butter and finished with a drizzle of lemon juice, some salt and chili powder. The joy of having corn cobs or ‘bhutta’ like this, on a rainy day, is unparalleled.

Of course, this can be made at a home pantry too, in a similar or different way, using ingredients as per personal preferences. Besides this, corn is quite versatile as it can also be used to add a texture and unique taste in patties, cutlets, mixed vegetables, rice dishes or fried as crunchy munchies. This rainy season, try the Corn Pakoda and Buttered Corn and Masala Corn too.

What’s more with this Corn Chaat recipe is that it can be your go-to dish on days when you want to eat something packed with nutrition, without spending hours and hours in the kitchen. Want to stir up a quick, healthy breakfast or a starter when you want to party, let this Corn Chaat be at your service.

More on this Corn Chaat

This Sweet Corn Chaat is an easy snack recipe that gets done quickly. So, perfect for days when you are actually short of time. It is fuss-free, easy to make and requires absolutely no special skills. So, most apt for bachelors as well.

I have used American sweet corn kernels as it’s a common one at my home. I use it to make a lot of other dishes as well. Other basic ingredients that go in this chaat snack are onions, tomatoes, green chilies, lemon juice and a few ground spices.

This Sweet Corn Chaat recipe is also a hit with kids. Just make sure to skip adding green chilies or red chili powder (or add either of them in a lesser quantity) as per your kid’s likings. In case you want to experiment, you can use dried mango powder or ‘amchur’ instead of or with chaat masala to bring in the tart element.

As an alternative for coriander leaves, I have used fresh parsley leaves as the addition of this herb brings in a unique flavorful twist. If not, the thumb rule is to use cilantro! For garnishing too, I have used sev which is the finer variety of sev.

Stir up this chaat within minutes and enjoy it as a delicious snack or a light refreshing meal. If not, turn your rainy days, all the more special with this fabulous Corn Chaat.

How to make Corn Chaat

Pressure Cook Corn

1. Rinse 1 cup corn kernels or 1 medium size corn on cob a couple of times in water. I have used American sweet corn kernels here.

2. Add the rinsed corn kernels or corn on cob in a 2 to 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker. Also, add 1.5 cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt or add as required.

3. Pressure cook the corn kernels or corn on cob on medium heat for 3 to 4 whistles or tender.

You can also steam or boil kernels in a pan or Instant pot adding water as needed. Though cooking corn kernels in a pan on the stove-top will take a longer time.

4. Let the pressure settle down naturally in the pressure cooker. Then only remove the lid.

5. In a colander or strainer, strain the boiled corn kernels or corn on cob. Drain all the water and keep the cooked corn kernels aside.

If you have used a corn cob, then let it become warm or cool. After it has become warm or cooled, carefully remove the corn kernels with a knife.

Make Sweet Corn Chaat

6. Chop 1 small onion, 1 small to medium tomato, 1 green chili and some coriander or parsley leaves.

Keep all the following ingredients ready:

• ¼ cup finely chopped onions
• ⅓ cup finely chopped tomatoes
• ½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley or coriander leaves (cilantro)

7. Now, take the boiled corn kernels in a mixing bowl.

8. Next, add the ¼ cup finely chopped onions and ⅓ cup finely chopped tomatoes to the corn kernels.

9. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies and 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves.

10. Add ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder and salt as required.

11. Finally, add 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice or add as per taste.

12. Stir well to mix. Check the taste and add more salt, chaat masala or lemon juice, if required.

12. Serve the Corn Chaat immediately, in individual serving bowls or plates. Optionally top the chaat with sev (fried gram flour vermicelli) and some finely chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves.

Expert Tips

1. Fresh corn tastes best in this Corn Chaat recipe. However, you can even use canned sweet corn kernels.
2. If you are using corn on cob, after cooking it, drain the water and let it cool down a bit or become warm. Then, remove the kernels carefully using a knife.
3. Corn kernels can also be boiled in a pan on the stove-top. You can also cook the corn cob or corn kernels in the Instant Pot.
4. You can roast the corn kernels slightly in ghee, butter or oil before mixing it up with the other ingredients. This imparts a rustic flavor to the chaat.
5. Other vegetables, fruits, legumes like cucumber, boiled potato, boiled chickpeas, fresh pomegranate pearls, mango, kiwi, etc. can also be added in this chaat.
6. Make sure the chaat is served immediately as the sev tends to get soggy after a while.
7. This Sweet Corn Chaat recipe can be scaled accordingly. For a more Indian street style tastier variation consider adding some Coriander Chutney and Tamarind Chutney to the chaat together with some boiled chopped potatoes, pomegranate arils, crispy puris and sev.

FAQs

This Corn Chaat recipe post from the blog archives first published in July 2013 has been republished and updated on 30 Jun 2022.