Vagareli Makai (Braised Mealies)
With winter comes the need for “comfort eating” and most comforting dishes are “carb laden”, however we try and try again to make our comfort food/snacks a little healthy and sometimes we pass this test and sometimes we don’t – but that never stops us from “comfort eating”
This is one of my spins on a “carb laden comfort snack” – “vagareli Makai” literally means braised mealies/corn – and this is no simple braised mealies/corn it is full of flavour, texture and taste – just what these cold autumn/winter days call for.
For some odd reason – both my sons don’t like mealies/corn and I just love them – so this dish is always made when I am “home alone”.
Vagareli Makai (Braised Mealies/Corn)
30ml sesame oil or sunflower oil
8-10 curry leaves
5ml cumin seeds
5ml chopped green chilli
375ml frozen corn or fresh corn of the cob or canned corn drained and washed
75 ml crushed peanuts
5ml salt
5ml amchur powder/5ml lemon juice
75ml chopped coriander
5-6 lemon wedges (optional)
75 ml uncooked 2 minute noodles (optional)
Method
- Heat oil in a medium size pan and add the curry leaves and cumin seeds
- Then add the chopped chilli and lower heat before adding the corn and allow to cook for about 8-10minutes
- Add the peanuts and allow to cook for a further 8-10minutes
- Turn of the stove and remove from heat before seasoning with salt and amchur or lemon juice
- Serve in little bowls garnished with coriander, lemon wedges and noodles