This recipe holds a special place in Canadian chef and TV personality Chef Devan Rajkumar’s heart. Growing up, his family made regular trips to Little India in downtown Toronto, where masala corn from the neighbourhood’s snack vendors was always a highlight.
“The alluring scent of charred BBQ enticed me every time—I once ate four, to my mother’s dismay,” Rajkumar writes in his cookbook Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies. “These days, I don’t visit Little India as much as I’d like. But when I do, I am instantly transported to those bygone days.”
What is Indian Masala Street Corn?
Street corn takes different forms around the world, from Mexico’s elote to the spice-rubbed corn sold by street vendors across India. Devan Rajkumar’s version is inspired by the masala corn he ate during childhood trips to Toronto’s Little India. Grilled until lightly charred, the cobs are brushed with butter, then finished with lime and a blend of chili, cumin, coriander, paprika and tangy amchur.
Masala Street Corn
Ingredients
Seasoning
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp amchur powder
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Corn
- 2 tsp grapeseed oil
- 4 ears corn shucked
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the BBQ to high heat.
- Combine the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
- Brush oil over corn. Add to the BBQ and grill for 5 to 6 minutes, until slightly charred on all sides.
- Transfer corn to a plate, then brush with butter. Press a lime wedge into the seasoning blend, then brush it over a cob of corn, and repeat with the rest. Serve immediately.
More recipes from Devan Rajkumar
Peanut Punch
Chef Devan Rajkumar's recipe for Caribbean peanut punch made with coconut milk and banana.
Get Recipe
Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties
Chef Devan Rajkumar's shares his recipe for spicy, savoury Jamaican-style beef patties.
Get Recipe
Mango and Tamarind Dark 'N' Stormy
Chef Devan Rajkumar's recipe for a Dark 'n' Stormy cocktail with fresh mango pulp and tamarind purée.
Get Recipe
Excerpted from Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies–A Cookbook by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. Copyright © 2023 by Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
More Corn Recipes
Heirloom Tomato Salad With Peaches and Corn
A refreshing seasonal salad with cherry tomatoes, corn, peaches and an easy herb vinaigrette.
Get Recipe
Air Fryer Corn Ribs
These corn ribs work beautifully as a veggie side, starter or even main– it’s just as fun to pick up and eat as much as is tasty.
Get Recipe
Curly Corn Ribs with Fresh Zhoug and Shishito Peppers
In this simple corn rib recipe, fresh cobs of corn are quartered into four "ribs", before being deep fried in a Dutch oven. Zippy zhoug and shishito peppers are served on the side.
Get Recipe
