Palak Corn Recipe (Curried Spinach & Corn)

Palak corn curry is a rich, saucy dish that’s made with fresh spinach and sweet corn. It is lightly spiced and perfectly creamy, and great to pair with classic Indian sides. This dish is also called as Makai Palak as corn is known as ‘Makai’ and spinach is called ‘Palak’ in the Hindi Language. Here you’ll find step-by-step instructions with photos for making this satisfying palak corn recipe at home.

About Palak Corn

Corn and spinach make for a wonderful combination. Corn Palak is a classic Punjabi recipe that features these two fresh ingredients in one delicious dish. It’s often found at Indian restaurants, as a main or side served with rice and bread.

Cooked spinach (palak) on its own doesn’t have much taste. But it becomes incredibly flavorful when cooked with sweet corn and a vibrant paste of tomatoes, onion, cashews, herbs and spices.

This palak corn recipe is similar to Palak Paneer but creamier and saucier, and made with low fat cream (optional). The end result is a lightly spiced, smooth, delicious and nutritious curry.

The recipe can be made with sweet corn, or the Indian variety of desi corn. If you use canned corn kernels then the recipe comes together quickly as you don’t need to spend time cooking the corn cobs and then removing them.

For the gravy base, I add cashews and melon seeds which not only give a good taste but also helps in thickening the gravy. Feel free to skip them or add almonds in place of cashews and skip the melon seeds altogether.

Kindly note that in the final dish photos, I have blended the spinach to a semi-fine consistency and in the stepwise photos, they are blended to a fine and smooth consistency.

How to make Palak Corn

Prepare Masala Paste

1. Measure, chop and have all the ingredients ready to make the masala paste.

2. In a small grinder or blender, add the following ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons chopped or broken cashews – can use almonds instead
• 1 or 2 chopped green chilies – about 1 teaspoon chopped
• 1 medium sized onion which is roughly chopped – ⅓ cup chopped onions
• 1 medium sized tomato which is roughly chopped – ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger which is roughly chopped
• 3 to 4 small to medium garlic cloves (chopped)
• ½ tablespoon magaz (melon seeds) – skip if you do not have

3. Grind or blend to a smooth paste. Add a splash of water if needed while grinding. Set this masala paste aside.

Blanch and Puree Spinach

4. Next, rinse 1 bunch of spinach leaves (palak) very well in fresh water in a colander. Drain the water very well.

5. Boil 4 to 5 cups of water with ½ teaspoon salt. Let the water come to a boil and then immediately switch off the heat.

6. Quickly add the spinach leaves to this hot water.

7. Let the spinach leaves be immersed in the hot water for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Have a large bowl of ice-cold water ready to blanch the palak. I added 10 to 12 ice cubes in 2 cups of water. You can use chilled water as well.

9. After 2 to 3 minutes, with the help of tongs, remove the spinach and place them in the ice water bowl. Keep the spinach submerged for 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Either drain all of the cold water or pick the spinach leaves with a help of tongs and transfer them to a blender.

11. Blend to a semi-fine or smooth spinach puree, adding very little water only if needed. You should get approximately 2 to 2.5 cups of spinach puree. Set the spinach puree aside.

Cook Sweet Corn (Makai)

12. First steam or boil 2 cups raw corn kernels. I have pressure cooked the corn kernels. Add enough water just to cover the corn kernels while pressure cooking them.

You can also steam them in a pressure cooker or in an Instant Pot. Alternatively you can steam or boil 2 medium corn cobs for 4 to 5 whistles. Let them cool and then remove the corn kernels with a knife.

Opt to use canned cooked corn kernels if you are not using the raw ones.

13. Drain all the water from the boiled corn kernels and then set them aside.

14. Have all of the ingredients ready to make the palak corn curry.

Sauté Masala

15. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil or butter or ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Fry them until they crackle, become aromatic and are browned.

16. Now add the ground masala paste. Be careful as the paste will splutter in the oil.

17. Mix very well. Then add 1 pinch turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 pinch asafoetida and ¼ or ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.

18. Stir and mix the spices well. Cook the masala paste on medium to medium-high heat, stirring often.

19. Continue stirring, until the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala paste. The paste will thicken, become glossy and aromatic.

Make Palak Corn Curry

20. When the masala paste is sauteed very well, then add the spinach puree to the pan.

21. Stir and mix very well.

22. Pour in 1 cup of water or as required depending on the consistency you prefer.

23. Next add salt to taste. Mix well.

24. Reduce the heat and simmer the curry for 6 to 7 minutes on low heat.

25. After 6 to 7 minutes, add the boiled corn kernels.

26. Mix well. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes more to heat the corn kernels through.

27. Whisk or beat ¼ cup cooking cream or light cream or low-fat cream till smooth. Skip the cream if you don’t want to add it.

28. Now add the cream and ½ teaspoon crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi). Omit to add dried fenugreek leaves if you don’t have them.

29. Stir and cook for just a minute or so to thicken.

30. Add ginger julienne (from ½ to 1 inch ginger).

31. Serve the corn palak hot with your favorite Indian sides. It pairs nicely with roti, paratha, naan, steamed rice, ghee rice and cumin rice.

FAQs

Palak Corn recipe from the archives was first published on February 2014.