This spicy sweet corn chaat recipe , or masala corn recipe , is a delicious Indian street style snack. This Indian chaat recipe is made with sweet corn kernels, crunchy onions, tomato and tangy spice powders!
Masala Corn is a popular Indian street food snack and is a delightful combination of sweet corn with spicy and tangy flavours. It a popular street food item in India, especially during the monsoon season, making it the perfect evening snack.
It’s a versatile dish, without any fancy ingredients, just like this kala chana chaat . And you can adjust the spice levels and ingredients to suit your personal taste preferences.
In India, corn is commonly associated with the monsoon season. Even here in England, my Mum has treated us to Methi Corn Bhajiya on a rainy day!
In fact, we love sweetcorn in all sorts of recipes – this Kasoli nu Shaak (sweetcorn peanut curry) is a Gujarati speciality.
Other sweetcorn recipes:
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob in Foil
- Corn Rajma Pulao Rice
- Grilled Nectarine, Mixed Bean and Corn Salad
Masala Corn Chaat Ingredients
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post
Sweet corn
You can use fresh sweet corn from a corn cob, frozen sweet corn kernels or canned sweetcorn kernels for this recipe.
Red onions – adds a nice crunch, you want to finely chop them
Tomatoes – deseeded and finely chopped
Green chilies – finely chopped, omit if serving this recipe to kids
Red chili powder – if you do not have red chilli powder, use cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
Chaat masala – if you do not have it, use a pinch of kala namak (black salt)
Alternatively, use extra lemon juice or lime juice or amchur powder
Lemon juice – or lime juice freshly squeezed or bottled
Fresh coriander leaves – fresh herbs are best in this recipe
Butter – to make it vegan, use vegan butter – I would say the butter is optional and you can use an oil such as olive oil instead
Optional:
Tamarind Chutney
Green chutney
Red Chutney – a spicy chutney made with red chillies and garlic.
Nylon sev or regular besan sev
Bell peppers – either red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper goes best
Extra spice powders such as cumin powder or black pepper
How to prepare the sweet corn
Frozen corn
If using frozen corn, you can heat in a microwave safe bowl with a little butter or oil for 3-4 minutes or until hot through.
Alternatively, heat in a non-stick pan with oil or butter and sauté on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Fresh corn
Cut away the corn kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.
Use the same process as above – either cook in the microwave with a splash of water and butter or in a pan.
You can also boil the corn in a pan of water.
Ensure to drain any excess water from the boiled corn kernels before using in the recipe
How to prepare Masala Corn Chaat
In a large bowl, assemble the corn chaat.
To the cooked corn, add onions, tomatoes and green chillies.
Tip in the chaat masala and red chili powder and add a pinch of salt.
Add extra chili powder and or green chillies for a spicy corn chaat recipe
Sprinkle over coriander / cilantro leaves and squeeze over lemon juice.
Optionally sprinkle over sev and pour chutneys.
Place in a serving bowl and serve.
How to make Corn Bhel
Corn Bhel is a little different to Corn Chaat. It follows a similar recipe but the final version is topped with sev, pomegranate and tangy chutneys. You could also add papdi if you wish.
It is a variation of Bhel Puri and is more of a crispy corn chaat.
Storage
You can store leftover corn chaat in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. After this, the onion may become too strong and likely will not taste good.
You can prep the ingredients in advance and assemble last minute if you wish.
I do not recommend freezing masala corn.
Other Chaat Recipes
Samosa Chaat Recipe – samosas are topped with spiced chickpeas and chaat garnishes
Sweet Potato Chaat – roasted sweet potato cubes are topped with mild chaat garnishes
Smashed Potato Chaat – a fusion chaat
Leftover Khaman Dhokla Chaat – gujarati dhokla are given a makeover!
Hash Brown and Pineapple Chaat
Sabudana Vada Chaat
Papdi Chaat
Palak Chaat (Spinach Chaat)
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Corn Chaat – Masala Corn
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- ¼ cup red onion
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon green chilies finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or lime juice
- 2 tablespoon coriander finely chopped
Instructions
Frozen corn
- If using frozen corn, you can heat in a microwave safe bowl with a little butter or oil for 3-4 minutes or until hot through.
- Alternatively, heat in a non-stick pan with oil or butter and sauté on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Fresh corn
- Cut away the corn kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.
- Use the same process as above – either cook in the microwave with a splash of water and butter or in a pan.
- You can also boil the corn in a pan of water.
- Ensure to drain any excess water from the boiled corn kernels before using in the recipe
Assemble Masala Corn Chaat
- To the cooked corn, add crunchy onions, tomatoes and green chillies.
- Tip in the chaat masala and red chili powder and add a pinch of salt.
- Add extra chili powder and or green chillies for a spicy corn chaat recipe
- Sprinkle over coriander / cilantro leaves.
- Optionally sprinkle over sev and pour chutneys.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Corn Chaat - Masala Corn
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- ¼ cup red onion
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon green chilies finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or lime juice
- 2 tablespoon coriander finely chopped
Instructions
Frozen corn
- If using frozen corn, you can heat in a microwave safe bowl with a little butter or oil for 3-4 minutes or until hot through.
- Alternatively, heat in a non-stick pan with oil or butter and sauté on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Fresh corn
- Cut away the corn kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.
- Use the same process as above - either cook in the microwave with a splash of water and butter or in a pan.
- You can also boil the corn in a pan of water.
- Ensure to drain any excess water from the boiled corn kernels before using in the recipe
Assemble Masala Corn Chaat
- To the cooked corn, add crunchy onions, tomatoes and green chillies.
- Tip in the chaat masala and red chili powder and add a pinch of salt.
- Add extra chili powder and or green chillies for a spicy corn chaat recipe
- Sprinkle over coriander / cilantro leaves.
- Optionally sprinkle over sev and pour chutneys.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
I make tofu in the air fryer in 10 minutes that is amazingly crunchy outside with the perfect texture inside. I use a coating of cornstarch which gives super crispy results without being chewy.
This is a naturally vegan recipe that you can adapt with different flavourings or keep plain and use in your favourite recipes.
This Air Fryer Tofu recipe will convert any tofu sceptic. It’s the perfect side dish or can be incorporated into so many recipes.
I love using the air fryer to make tofu rather than baking in the oven or deep-frying. It takes so much less time and the results are just as good, if not better! With air frying, the tofu becomes crunchy on all sides without having to turn.
Tofu has been advertised as a meat substitute but actually, it is so much more than that! It has the ability to soak up the wonderful flavours that it is cooked it.
I regularly make this Tofu and Coconut Curry with Mango Chutney and Burnt Garlic Fried Rice with Tofu .
Air Fryer Tofu Ingredients
Variations on flavour and substitutions provided below
Extra firm tofu – drained, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Cornstarch – a cornstarch coating helps get the tofu extra crispy
Soy sauce – use light or dark soy sauce
Sesame oil – sesame oil otherwise another oil such as olive oil is a good alternative
Paprika – use smoked or hot
Garlic powder – alternatively, use fresh minced garlic. You can optionally also add in onion powder
Black pepper or white pepper
Salt to taste
Air Fryer Tofu without cornstarch
If you do not want to use cornstarch, you can also use rice flour, tapioca flour, all purpose flour.
Alternatively, skip the flour altogether but this may lead to a slightly different texture.
Gluten-free option
Use tamari instead of soy sauce which contains gluten. Tamari is easy to find in grocery stores or online. Tofu is naturally gluten-free as is cornstarch.
Flavour variations
You can change up the flavours based upon the dish you will serve or add the tofu too.
Stick to tofu, cornstarch (or alternative) and a neutral flavoured oil. You can then build on the seasoning.
- taco seasoning
- italian seasoning
- rosemary and garlic
- indian flavoured (use curry powder or individual spices such as red chilli powder and ground cumin)
How to press tofu
Pressing tofu is essential to remove excess moisture and for improved firm texture.
- Using a tofu press – I use tofuture
- Manual pressing with weights – drain the excess water and lay on top of plenty of paper towels. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and place an even weight on top – a good example is a cast-iron skillet or a flat baking tray with a weight on top. Let it press for around 30-60 minutes.
- Freezing the tofu – freeze the tofu and allow it to thaw overnight or in the microwave. The defrosting process releases moisture and leads to firmer tofu
- Microwave – microwave the tofu to remove excess moisture quickly and then press with a method from above
How to air fry tofu – step by step instructions
Add tofu cubes into a large bowl. Ensure to cut them equal sized for even cooking.
Add all the seasoning ingredients of your choice.
Toss in cornstarch (or alternative if using).
If you have the time, set the tofu aside in the tofu marinade for 30 minutes to soak up the flavours.
Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket keeping some gaps in between to allow the air to circulate around all sides of the cubes.
Air Fry the tofu at 400 F or 200 C for 8-10 minutes or until crispy. Do not crisp up the tofu in the air fryer too much as it will become more crispy as it cools – you do not want it to become tough and chewy
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to do this in batches.
Serving Suggestion
Enjoy air-fried tofu as it is with a dipping sauce or add it to recipes.
Dipping sauces for air fryer tofu:
- sour cream and chive dip
- tamarind sauce
- basil sauce
- yogurt garlic sauce
- in buddha bowls with rice, veggies and green onion
- add it to a stir fry such as this Vegan Thai Peanut Noodles , or Instant Pot Chow Mein
- use it to top salads and soups
Storage
Store leftover air fryer tofu in the fridge in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
Reheat in the air fryer to get it crispy again on a lower temperature to prevent burning.
Other Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Beet Chips
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Corn on the Cob in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Fajitas
- Parmentier Potatoes
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
Ingredients
- 400 gram firm tofu extra firm tofu block
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch or alternative or omit totally
- 1 tablespoon oil I used sesame but you can use any other
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce use tamari to keep it gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or fresh minced garlic
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Press the 400 gram firm tofu and then cut into 1 inch cubes.
- Add tofu cubes into a large bowl.
- Add all the seasoning ingredients of your choice. 1 teaspoon paprika , 1 teaspoon garlic powder , salt and black pepper , 1 tablespoon oil , 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Toss in 2 tablespoon cornstarch (or alternative if using).
- If you have the time, set the tofu aside in the tofu marinade for 30 minutes to soak up the flavors.
- Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket keeping some gaps in between to allow the air to circulate around all sides of the cubes.
- Air Fry the tofu at 400 F or 200 C for 8-10 minutes or until crispy.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to do this in batches.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
