Corn-ed!

If Christopher Columbus had not crossed the Atlantic Ocean and unwittingly discovered America,life as we know it would have been a lot different.

Though not native to India,corn has become an essential part of the local diet. But what dishes use corn innovatively?

If Christopher Columbus had not crossed the Atlantic Ocean and unwittingly discovered America,life as we know it would have been a lot different. There would be no Hollywood,no Las Vegas,no sitcoms on television (remember,Friends and How I Met Your Mother are based in New York). And even more importantly,there would be no corn.

Discovered and taken back to their homelands by European settlers in the early sixteenth century,it is not clear when the cereal was introduced in India,but it has today become an integral part of the Indian culture. No idea of autumn is complete without images of the local bhutta-seller. Today,corn has gone a step further it is an essential ingredient of pizza,it is common as sweet corn,some people have even started making corn ki sabzi! Here are certain food items that stand out for their innovative use of corn.

Roasted corn & spinach quiche
This delicious baked dish has of a creamy layer of spinach around grilled and roasted corn which is sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Using dough made in-house,the dish is slightly heavy on the palate thanks to the cheese. It is,at the end of the day,a basic quiche, confesses Imrun Sethi,owner of the establishment.

Available at: Tertulia,Koregaon Park
Price: Rs 115

Grilled Corn Sandwich
This sandwich is special because it has no mayonnaise and no cheese. Using brown bread,the sandwich uses white sauce as a base and boiled corn as an essential ingredient. Invented by Rahul and Radha Mhaske,the owners of the restaurant,this tasty tidbit is very pocket-friendly. The white sauce contains a few special ingredients,which is perhaps why this sandwich is so popular with our customers, says Rajesh Motkar,the manager.

Available at: Corn Club,FC Road
Price: Rs 39

Taco Special
Few establishments in the city offer Mexican food as part of their menu,and this chain of restaurants is one of them. Using easy-to-find ingredients,the taco is essentially a rolled papad made of corn flour with stuffing inside. We use rajma,beans,mushroom,capsicum and boiled corn as stuffing for the taco. Mexican food was,till two years ago,not very popular,but it is slowly catching up. The city is still getting used to this cuisine,plus the cost is slightly high, says Suresh Pujari,manager of the eatery.

Available at: Shiv Sagar,JM Road
Price: Rs 120

Corn Idli
We started this dish only one and a half years ago and it has been a great hit with customers, says Sagar Dixit about the corn idli. The concept is as innovative as the taste. After stir-frying sweetcorn,it is added to the idli dough. Once prepared,it is served with the standard sambhar and chutney.

Available at: Steamy Affair,JM Road
Price: Rs 23

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Veg Sunhari
For a restaurant which specialises in non-vegetarian food,having a vegetarian dish that they profess to be a chef’s special is quite a reference. We cook cabbage,potato,corn and our secret blend of masalas in a wok together. The preparation sounds simple but the secret ingredient gives it the taste,which has made the dish quite popular, says Stevan Correa,manager of the eatery.

Available at: Bighdey Nawab,Dhole Patil road.
Price: Rs 70

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