I found this gem of a recipe in Williams-Sonoma book and totally loved it. It seems this recipe comes from Maharashtra and I was pleasantly surprised. Now I have lived most of my life in Bombay and when I was young I used to spend a major part of my day with my Maharashtrian neighbours playing with friends. Some evenings we kids used to get snacks from the aunties and I have had my first taste of the local cuisine through these generous servings. Being a foodie, I have visited restaurants and local jhunka-bhakar kendras which serve yummy fast/junk food….but I dont remember seeing this dish :) I remember McDonalds first opened in Bandra when I was in college. A single burger used to cost approx 50 bucks…quite a princely amount for a college kid who used to get Rs300 as pocket money. But still all us friends used to save for a few days and go shopping on Link Road and finish the day by having a burger at McDonalds. I thought I had possibly seen all the fast food and appetizer options that Bombay had to offer, so when I saw that this dish came from Maharashtra I had to try this out.  It is really good and can be served as the appetizer course when you have company. I have adapted it slightly to suit my taste and it reminds me a lot of goli bahji which we get in Mangalore.

CornBhajiya

Ingredients:

1 cup All purpose flour/maida
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp dhaniya-jeera powder
2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ajwain
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 cup finely chopped spring onion/scallions(including green tops)
1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum(any colour)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
1 cup corn fresh or frozen(but thawed)
Veg oil for deep frying
salt to taste

Method:

In a bowl combine flour,salt,red chilli powder,garam masala,dhaniya-jeera powder,cumin seeds and ajwain.

In another bowl whisk the milk and eggs. Pour over the flour mixture slowly and stir it to form a lump free batter. You can a few drops of water if the batter is too thick.

Add the corn,spring onions, capsicum and cilantro and mix well.

Heat oil for deep frying. Using a teaspoon or your hand, slip in small amounts of batter and deep fry a few at a time till golden brown. Turn and repeat till both sides are golden brown.

Remove on paper towels to drain. Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.