Tandoori Baby Corn

Name: Tandoori Baby Corn
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 grams baby corns; For Marinade; 1 cup plain yogurt; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon red chilli powder; 1 teaspoon paneer tikka masala; 1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi); 1 tablespoon gram flour; 1 tablespoon mustard oil; 2 teaspoons green chilli ginger paste; Other Ingredients; Butter for greasing baking tray; 1 teaspoon chaat masala; Juice of 1 lemon

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Tandoori Baby Corn

Tandoori Baby Corn is a delicious simple recipes of baby corn marinated in spiced yoghurt marinate and either grilled in the oven, tandoor or BBQ.

I like the simplicity of this recipe as fresh baby corn gives an earthy flavour and the marinade layers it with spicy tangy notes. Tandoori Baby Corn is a flavourful appetizer with a great smoky flavour and taste.

I have cooked the baby corn in the oven however these can be cooked in a hot pan or even on BBQ. Tandoori baby corn turns out great no matter how you cook it – in a hot oven, an outdoor grill, or in a frying pan!

The only thing to remember while making this recipe is to use fresh baby corn so they have a bit to them which adds an extra layer of crunch.

Other recipes you might like to try are Tandoori Paneer Tikka, Haryali Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Broccoli, Ajwain Fish Tikka, Tandoori Soya Chaap, Tandoori Mushroom Tikka, Hariyali Chicken Tikka and Tandoori Chicken.

Ingredients

250 grams baby corns

For Marinade
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon paneer tikka masala
1 teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
1 tablespoon gram flour
1 tablespoon mustard oil
2 teaspoons green chilli ginger paste

Other Ingredients
Butter for greasing baking tray
1 teaspoon chaat masala
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

Step-1

To prepare the marinade, place a strainer on a bowl and pour the yogurt into it. Keep this in the fridge or a cool place for 1-2 hours and let all the water drain out. You will be left with thick, hung yogurt in the cloth. 1 cup of yogurt will give ½ cup of thick yogurt. Empty the thick hung yogurt in a bowl.

Step-2

Add salt, red chilli powder, paneer tikka masala, kasuri methi, gram flour, mustard oil, ginger green chilli paste to the hung yogurt and whisk it to form a smooth consistency marinade.

Step-3

Boil the baby corn for 2-3 minutes to slightly soften them. Drain the corns and keep aside to cool.

Once the corn has cooled down, add them to the prepared marinade and gently mix to coat the baby corns. Cover and set aside for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

Step-4

Smoking the Baby Corn- This is an optional step so do skip if you wish to not smoke the baby corn.

Heat a piece of charcoal over direct heat until it is red hot. With the help of tongs, keep on turning the charcoal piece so that it burns evenly. Place a small plate in the center and place it on the marinated bowl. Place the hot charcoal in the bowl-shaped foil and pour melted ghee/oil on top of the hot charcoal. You will see smoke coming out of charcoal.

Immediately close the bowl with a lid/ aluminium foil and let it remain like this for 2-3 minutes. After 2-3 minutes, remove the charcoal bowl. The longer you keep the lid closed, the smokier the baby corns will infuse. Usually 2 minutes is enough, but you can experiment with it based on your taste.

Step-5

Pre-heat the grill to 220 C/200 Fan /Gas mark 7. Place the baby corn on a roasting tray lined with greased parchment paper and grill for 15 minutes, turning once halfway. Grease the baby corn halfway during cooking using butter/oil.

Sprinkle chaat masala and lemon juice.

Enjoy with onion salad, lime and green chutney.

Tips & Variations

You can use Greek yogurt if you are short of time to make hung yogurt.
You can use mustard oil, vegetable oil or olive oil for the marinate.
Marinate the baby corns for a minimum of 3-4 hours to give the ingredients time to get acquainted. If you have time, you can pop the marinated baby corn in the fridge the night before. Be sure to keep it covered in the fridge. The longer the baby corn is marinated, the better flavours get infused into the baby corn hence this recipe needs a bit of planning.
It’s always better to boil the baby corns in boiling water to soften it up for 2-3 minutes before the first marinade.
If you have marinated the baby corn overnight in fridge, then bring it to room temperature before grilling.
Taste the marinade before adding the baby corn to adjust the seasoning. The marinade should taste lightly spicy when tasted on its own. Baby corn will bring the heat down when mixed with marinate.
You can brush the baby corns with some oil while cooking to avoid them from becoming dry.