Esquites-Inspired Warm Creamy Corn Salad

I am currently living my summer of corn. All I want to do is eat fresh corn – grilled on the cob, kernels lightly cooked in butter, tossed with tomato and herbs in a salad, or cooked with curry leaves, green chili and lemon for makai nu chevdo.

Preparing fresh corn kernels is an investment if you don’t have specialized tools. I don’t although I’m questioning if I should. Between shucking, removing stray corn silk and cleaning the strewn kernels from the counter after stripping the cob of kernels, I always question why I don’t simply use frozen corn. After the first bite of a dish made with fresh corn, I re-remember how infinitely better fresh corn is and it’s all worth it again.

This recipe originated out of a desire to use up ingredients in my fridge. Inspired by elote and esquites, I decided to riff on esquites by combining fresh corn and the mayonnaise-based creamy cilantro lime sauce I had previously made for another recipe. While traditional esquites would use cotija cheese (and feta as a substitute if cotija isn’t available), I had neither and used parmesan instead. To be frank, it worked really well, pulling it further away from a traditional esquites but into a new exciting direction with the little crystalline nuggets of umami. The contrast in flavors, textures and temperatures makes it a delectable dish that we two of us devoured as a light dinner the first time I experimented with this recipe.

If you’d like to serve it as the center of a meal, note that this recipe is really rich. I found it worked nicely with a simple Tex-Mex restaurant-style red rice. It is also delicious eaten from a bowl with some tortilla chips. It would also be an incredible crowd pleaser as an appetizer or side dish at a larger group gathering.

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Esquites-Inspired Warm Creamy Corn Salad

Recipe by Preeyanka

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

This recipe is intended to be served warm. If you are planning to make this in advance, make the creamy cilantro lime sauce ahead of time and steps 1,2 of this recipe ahead of time. Right before serving, reheat the vegetables on the skillet and continue with step 3.

Ingredients

• 1.5 Tbs vegetable oil

• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds

• 1/2 serrano pepper finely chopped (adjust to spice preference)

• 4 ears of corn, kernels only (reserve cobs for another use)

• 1/2 green bell pepper or poblano pepper, diced to a similar size as the corn kernels.

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1/4 Tbs smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp cumin powder

• Salt to taste

• 3 scallions, finely sliced, optional (they add a nice crunch but the salad will still taste good without them.)

• 2 Tbs creamy cilantro lime sauce

• 3 Tbs grated parmesan (use big holes on the grater, not the small holes or a microplane)

• Kashmiri mirch or Mexican chili powder for dusting

Directions

• Heat the oil over medium high heat in a saute pan or skillet. Once hot, add the cumin seeds. Once they start to darken, add the jalapeno and cook for about a minute.
• Add the corn kernels and bell pepper to the pan. After about 5 minutes, add garlic, paprika, cumin powder and salt to taste. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until the peppers have softened and the kernels have cooked through. Remove from heat.
• Add the creamy cilantro lime sauce, scallions and parmesan to the warm vegetables and gently toss to combine all the ingredients of the salad. Gently dust with kashmiri mirch or another bright red, mild chili powder. Serve immediately.