Hyderabad crispy corn snack
It seems like every time I travel internationally I find some delicious snack food that local folks don't really even think about, but is maybe the best recipe to bring back from that place. In Catalonia, that was obviously pan con tomate; in Paris it was shredded carrot salad; in Oaxaca, cheese empanadas; in Shanghai it was green onion noodles. Unlike the far more elaborate headline "national dishes" featured on the covers of menus and cookbooks, these are all things I've made multiple times since returning.
In Hyderabad, India, that snack food is "crispy corn" or "crunchy corn snack". As far as I can tell, this dish doesn't even have a specific name in Telgu, but it's everywhere. I had my first one at a coffee bar the day of my arrival and the last one in a restaurant at the airport. It makes a great appetizer, and a terrific snack with tea or coffee on its own, and both kids and adults adore it.
And yet, it's super-easy. At least, when you make it my way. You can see the full traditional method here, which is good for restaurants but takes this away from "fun, easy snack".
Now, some notes on the ingredients so that you can make this year-round from whatever you have. We're looking for maximum flexibility here.
Corn Kernels: if you're making this during the summer, use fresh, sweet corn kernels cut off the cob. At other times of year, you can make it using frozen corn, as follows: thaw the frozen corn completely. Then drain it in a colander for 1/2 an hour, and blot it dry with a towel. It won't be completely dry, but mostly dry is fine. Do not use canned corn. While raw corn takes longer to cook, frozen corn needs more drying out, so I find that the cooking time is about the same either way.
Flour: below I use a combination of corn flour (as in finely-milled cornmeal, not corn starch) and rice flour, which gives a nice flavor and crunch. However, you can substitute other non-wholegrain flours, like chickpea flour or fine semolina. If you use AP flour (wheat), then partner it with a pure starch like corn starch or potato starch.
Spices: I give a very simple masala (spice mix) recipe below, but once you get used to making the snack, you can swap in other masalas.
Peppers: make this as hot, or not, as you want. The sliced peppers can be sweet (lunchbox or nardellos) to very spicy (cayenne or serranos), and the chile powder you use can be mild to hot, depending on your taste.
Amchur Powder: this is ground dehydrated mango powder. If you can't get it, substitute coriander seed, and add lemon juice at the end as noted.
crispy corn snack
The masala:
- 1 tsp red chile powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp aamchur powder (or 1/2 tsp ground coriander)
- 1 tsp salt (or black salt, if you can get it)
The corn:
- 16oz corn kernels
- 2-3 skinny red or green peppers, sliced into rings
- 2-3 shallots, peeled and sliced thin (subs. 1/2 onion)
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup corn flour (fine-milled cornmeal)
- 3 Tbs vegetable oil
- 1 Tbs lemon juice, if no amchur powder
Mix the masala ingredients. Toss together the corn kernels, pepper slices, shallot, and 1 teaspoon of the masala (3/4 tsp if no amchur). Then, toss with the flours, lightly coating everything.
Heat the oil in a wide pan or wok until at or near smoking point. Scoop in the corn using a slotted spoon, so as to leave any loose flour in the bowl. Fry, stirring regularly, for 5-10 minutes, until the flour has turned dark brown and the corn is scotched in spots.
Dump out the corn onto a paper-towel-lined wide bowl or platter. Shake it around to absorb some of the excess oil, and then pull out the towels while still hot. Sprinkle with 1-2 tsp more masala to taste (and lemon juice, if needed), and toss.
Serve hot or warm. Can be eaten with a fork, or with fingers. If there's any leftovers, re-crisp them in a hot pan.