Creamy Fresh Sweet Corn Curry | Meatless Monday
When you live in the Midwest, there are very few things that are more fresh in summer than the locally grown ears of sweet corn. It’s peak corn season at the farmer’s markets right now. While nothing beats a fresh corn on the cob, be it grilled, boiled, microwaved or even raw; there are some other ways that we enjoy corn in our family.
I once made this corn chat in wonton cups (recipe here) for our guests, this salad with corn is pretty hit too and this sweet corn soup recipe is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. Both Ms.Little A and Mr. Little V love corn on the cob with butters slathered on it. Dr. A often brings back corn from work when he is visiting his farmer friends in the area. This creamy corn curry is my Indian ode to the sweetest and juiciest corn that you will ever eat.
Jump to Recipe
Apart from being a great source of carbs, corn has a lot of water in it along with decent amount of protein and high in fiber. So when the kids get home from school or from playing outside, it is a perfect snack. Few weeks ago, we had invited some friends over for dinner. I was working through a menu of appetizers, main dishes and desserts etc. And you know me – I was trying to make the most of seasonal and local ingredients. Dr. A had gotten a dozen fresh corn from a farm stand and while we were enjoying them for snack at least once a day, there were some ears of corn sitting on the counter begging for my attention.
So, on a whim, I wrote down “creamy corn curry” under the tab of main dishes. I wanted to add traditional north Indian flavors to the curry, make it little fancy since I was making it for company, while keeping corn to be the star of the dish.
Recipe run down
The recipe starts with a usual Punjabi/North Indian masala preparation.Bhoono onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic with dry spices. Cashew paste adds the creaminess and rich flavor to the curry along with cream (optional). Next go in the sweet corn kernels freshly cut from the cob (use a sharp knife like this one
Creamy Fresh Sweet Corn Curry
Fresh and juicy sweet corn gets dunked in rich and creamy curry flavored with warming Indian spices. Enjoy this creamy corn curry with rice, roti or naan.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 clove
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic see notes
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger see notes
- 1.5 cup chopped tomato see notes
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder optional
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 5-6 cashews soaked in milk (see notes)
- 1/4 cup milk see notes
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 3 ears corn husks and silk removed, see notes
- 2 cup water or as needed
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream optional
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methis dried fenugreek leaves
- 5-6 sprigs cilantro, leaves chopped optional for garnish
Instructions
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Set a heavy bottomed skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to it.
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Once the oil is nice and shiny, add green cardamoms, clove and bay leaf. Wait for 30 seconds and then add cumin seeds.
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Wait for the cumin seeds to crackle a bit and then add the onions with a pinch of salt. Adding salt to onions helps in cooking them faster by extracting the moisture out.
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Add the ginger garlic paste and bhoono (cook) the masala till the onions turn light brown in color. This will take 5-7 minutes.
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While the onion masala is cooking, take a very sharp knife and carefully cut the kernels off of the cob. Set aside,
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Now add turmeric, red chili (if using) and coriander powders to the onion masala. Mix.
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Add the chopped tomatoes and scrape any bits of the onion masala that might be sticking to the pan. Mix and cook the tomato masala for another 5 minutes or so.
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Grind the soaked cashews with the milk (or water) that they were soaked in.
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Once the masala is cooked, you should be able to see tiny droplets of oil appear on the edges of the masala. Add tomato ketchup.
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Add the cashew paste, mix and cook for another 30 seconds. Now add water, and corn kernels.
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Stir in salt to taste, sugar and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil, add more water to adjust consistency, lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
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After 10 minutes, add heavy cream ,garam masala and kasoori methi powder. Give the curry a taste check and adjust seasoning if needed. Turn the heat off.
Recipe Notes
Yo can also use 2 teaspoon store bought ginger garlic paste.
If canned tomatoes are your thing, use 1 can diced tomatoes.
To make the recipe vegan, soak and grind the cashews in water instead of milk. Skip heavy cream.
If you cannot find fresh sweet corn, you can also use about 2 to 2.5 cups of frozen corn kernels.
Hope you will give this recipe a try and let me know if you do it.
Love – Vaishali.
Tools Used
Knives: 
Blender: 
Edwin at Regular Daddy
July 30, 2018 at 1:55 amKind of disappointed to see no meat menu for today 🙂 But that corn curry looks so yummy and fresh.. worth-trying 🙂
Laura Belle
July 30, 2018 at 11:43 amI have never had corn curry, but I have almost all the ingredients for this so I will definitely try it.
Vaishali
July 30, 2018 at 11:55 amThat is awesome Laura!
Michelle
July 30, 2018 at 12:48 pmThis looks absolutely delicious! Corn is one of my favorite vegetables and I love recipes that incorporate it because they’re usually easy and keep very well in the fridge.
Thanks for sharing! x
Michelle
dressingwithstyle-s.com
Mikel
July 30, 2018 at 1:03 pmThis looks like it was delicious. I love curry dishes a lot. Maybe I will give this a try.
Anne
July 30, 2018 at 1:22 pmThis sounds like one bowl of deliciousness! I’ve never heard of corn curry, but I think I will be trying it real soon!
Linda
July 30, 2018 at 5:13 pmI love the spice mixture that you used here. I’ve never seen corn curry, so this is a fantastic use of in season produce. Looks delicious!
Pavan K
July 30, 2018 at 11:52 pmThis looks amazing!!! I love your recipess and there are so many I want to tryyy. Thank youuu!
Jenna
July 31, 2018 at 1:46 amYumm. My daughter loves corn and my son loves curry. I wonder if this dish will please both. I can’t wait to try it. Looks delicious!
Vaishali
July 31, 2018 at 9:30 amPerfect!
Dawn
July 31, 2018 at 6:21 amLove all sorts of curry, but never thought of putting corn in it before (and I do love corn). This looks delicious and a must try 🙂
Vaishali
July 31, 2018 at 9:29 amThanks Dawn. This experiment was definitely a successful one!
Elaine Benoit
July 31, 2018 at 7:41 amWhat a fun and delicious recipe!! I’m a big fan curry and your creamy corn curry looks fabulous!!
Vaishali
July 31, 2018 at 9:29 amThanks Elaine..:)
Jen @ Jenron Designs
July 31, 2018 at 7:56 amI repined this one for the fall, it looks perfect for a colder night. My husband and I love curry but I have never seen a corn version which is perfect for of vegetarian dinner options, we try to have several times a week. While we are not full vegetarian we are more of a pescatarian based lifestyle so this recipe is perfect!
Vaishali
July 31, 2018 at 9:28 amThat’s great Jen. We are also not completely vegetarian but predominantly so.
Jessie
August 1, 2018 at 1:48 pmI have not really tried curry before, but I am going to give this a try.
Sophia
August 1, 2018 at 4:09 pmMy husband LOVES corn, so I’ll def be trying this!!
Veena Azmanov
August 2, 2018 at 2:38 amI have never had corn curry. What a brilliant idea? My kids love corn and curry is definitely one of our favorites.. Sounds so yum. Can’t wait to try this. yum.
Heddy
August 2, 2018 at 11:01 amLooks tasty!
Valerie
August 2, 2018 at 11:56 amWhen I first saw the title, I was confused. How on earth would all of these ingredients go together? And then I saw the pictures. Ah, I wanna try it!
Vaishali
August 2, 2018 at 12:17 pmHa ha…thanks Valerie..:)
Lorie
August 3, 2018 at 8:35 pmGosh I wish my husband liked curry! I will be making this the next time he has a late work meeting for sure!
Aleta
August 3, 2018 at 11:06 pmYummy! I love the use of corn instead of meat. Your recipe looks absolutely delicious! A must try for sure!
prasanna hede
August 4, 2018 at 8:32 amI would love this with steamed rice or with phulkas too.yum!
Marisa Franca
August 4, 2018 at 10:46 amThat corn curry looks and sounds amazing. What an unusual way to serve the veggie. Yes, we are in the Midwest too and corn is abundant. We love our spicy food and I know this would be a huge hit in our family. I’m positive I have all the spices.
Jyothi (Jo)
August 5, 2018 at 12:10 amCorn in curry is one of my favorite ways to eat corn after corn salad. I’m in love with this delicious creamy corn curry
Kim @ Berly's Kitchen
August 5, 2018 at 8:11 amIt’s almost soup season here and this would be perfect for cooler days! We’d definitely use the chili powder for a little extra spice. 🙂 This looks delicious.
Erin
August 5, 2018 at 10:16 amI love fresh corn dishes! This looks so good, can’t wait to make it.
Veronika's Kitchen
August 5, 2018 at 12:27 pmThis curry recipe looks great! Never tried it before but definitely should!)
Leslie Haasch
August 5, 2018 at 4:35 pmI love corn so much, but I’ve never had it in curry – love it!
Sues
August 5, 2018 at 9:30 pmOh yum!! I love curry, but have never thought to use it in a creamy corn dish like this! It looks so flavorful and yummy!
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life
August 5, 2018 at 11:46 pmCorn and curry are two of our favorite things to put in foods, so I’m sure this will be a hit at our house. Can’t wait to try it!
Katie
August 12, 2018 at 8:02 pmGirl… this looks AH mazing!! Can’t wait to try it! 👩🏼🍳
Catherine
August 12, 2018 at 8:41 pmThis sounds so good! We are craving soup lately, & this sounds perfect!
Marysa
August 12, 2018 at 9:48 pmThis looks delicious! My husband and I love curry and he LOVES corn. This dish might be a real hit for us! I’ll have to give it a try.
Jennifer
August 12, 2018 at 9:55 pmI love curry everything; definitely saving this recipe!
Janna
August 12, 2018 at 9:58 pmThis looks so flavorful and hearty!! And it’s perfect timing…I’m always looking for new meatless recipes to try. I’ll have to give this one a go!
Victoria
August 12, 2018 at 10:34 pmI would love to try this. It looks heavenly.
Tara Pittman
August 20, 2018 at 3:22 pmI love that this soup is vegetarian. It looks so good and I would love the spice of it.
Sarah Bailey
August 20, 2018 at 3:35 pmNow this sounds like an absolutely delicious deal for meatless Monday! perfect for the cooler weather coming up as well! I think I may need to try this for myself.
Alison Netzer
August 20, 2018 at 6:33 pmI love corn season and love masala. What a great combination. I’m definitely trying this one and yes it is a great meat replacement.
Evelyn Hernandez
August 20, 2018 at 7:37 pmThis recipe looks amazing. I have never had corn with curry but will be trying it soon.
Kim Glad
August 20, 2018 at 8:31 pmI have never heard of corn curry before. I love that the corn is local and in season for you right now. It must be so fresh and delicious!
Annie Cho
August 21, 2018 at 12:49 amThis corn curry looks insanely yummy! I love that it’s vegetarian as well! I’d love to eat it with some naan or toasted bread!
xoxo
Annie
Princess Quinn
August 21, 2018 at 5:40 amI am not a fan of curry. LOL (pun!) But I do love sweet corn. Whether steamed or buttered. This recipe new to me. I might as well give it a try.
Monidipa
August 21, 2018 at 8:15 amThat corn curry looks so delicious. I would love to make it, the corn is in season right now so it won’t be tough to get all ingredients.
Kiwi
August 21, 2018 at 7:28 pmI would totally make this. i would make this I love curry this would be a new recipe!
Suzanne
August 21, 2018 at 7:45 pmI love curry and I love corn so I bet this would be a delight to make! Pinning for later 🙂
Heather
August 22, 2018 at 9:03 amThis sounds and looks really yummy! We don’t eat meat, so we are always looking for great meatless options.
LavandaMichelle
August 22, 2018 at 9:28 amWhat a nice recipe! This looks delish. In college I would eat curry all of the times. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Casey
August 22, 2018 at 10:17 amWow! This is deliiiiccciiiooouuusss!!! I love curry and I can eat this every day. Healthy and delicious. Def. will try to make this, this weekend with my friends coming around for dinner. Great!
Ladonna Batiste
August 22, 2018 at 12:19 pmThis looks so yummy. I will get the ingredients and make it soon.
Wanda Lopez
August 22, 2018 at 3:47 pmI have to say that I haven’t tried curry corn before and this recipe sounds and looks amazing. Will have to give it a try soon.
KEVIN FOODIE
August 8, 2022 at 10:56 amWith the many spices you use in this corn recipe , I know it’s delicious and flavourful. This is perfect for a meatless monday dish. Thanks for sharing
Vaishali
August 8, 2022 at 10:30 pmThanks, Kevin. These spices add a lot of depth of flavor and have healthy benefits as well.
Amber Brault
August 22, 2018 at 6:25 pmThis look delicious! I am book marking this to have the first day the kids go back to school!
Becky
September 5, 2018 at 11:19 amThis looks fabulous! I’m always looking for new things to try. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Imogen
June 23, 2019 at 12:48 pmJust finished making this. In order to keep it vegan, I used soya milk to soak the nuts and coconut cream instead of heavy cream. I always use more spices than people suggest, but actually, this was pretty spot on! The curry is rich and full of flavor. I’ve added a load of water to it and I’ll leave it to slow cook overnight, curry is *always* better slow cooked and left until the next day! Thanks so much!
Vaishali
June 23, 2019 at 12:51 pmoh wow. Thanks for trying Imogen. And your substitutions sound great.
ashok
June 11, 2021 at 11:15 pmThanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
Vaishali
June 13, 2021 at 4:02 pmThank you so much Ashok. I am glad you and your family enjoyed the fresh sweet corn curry,
Urodoc
June 22, 2022 at 11:05 amgreat recipe. well balanced. loved it! I roasted the corn as well as some paneer on a griddle pan before adding to the mix
Vaishali
June 22, 2022 at 12:03 pmUrodoc, thanks! What a great idea to roast the corn and paneer to deepen the flavors.
Alina
August 8, 2022 at 11:52 amSounds delicious, need to try it!
Vaishali
August 8, 2022 at 10:33 pmThanks Alina. I hope you enjoy it!
Jenna from Heavenly Spiced
August 8, 2022 at 2:32 pmWow, this creamy corn curry sounds so so yummy! I have a bunch of corn at the moment, I want to try this. Thank you for sharing!
Vaishali
August 8, 2022 at 10:39 pmThanks Jenna! You are a master yourself…I’m sure you will like it!
Eva Petruzziello
August 8, 2022 at 2:42 pmI’m a vegetarian and this looks amazing!
Vaishali
August 8, 2022 at 10:40 pmIndeed! A perfect meatless dish!
Matthew Wager
August 8, 2022 at 4:02 pmThis looks really good! I’ll have to check this out
Vaishali
August 8, 2022 at 10:44 pmThanks Matthew!
Jimmy
August 8, 2022 at 6:24 pmthis looks yummy
Vaishali
August 8, 2022 at 10:52 pmThanks Jimmy
Petra
August 9, 2022 at 5:10 amI have to try this!!