Have you tried elotes? It is mexican street style corn on the cob dish consisting of butter grilled corn cob brushed with sour cream or mayo and sprinkled with chili powder(cayenne or chipotle) and then rolled in crumbled cojita cheese. Fresh lime juice is squeezed on it right before serving. It is unimaginably delicious!
About My Recipe
My Baby corn elote recipe is super easy to make.You need 7 ingredients and 15-20 minutes to make this appetizer. I have replaced the grilled mexican street corn with butter grilled baby corns in my recipe. Fresh baby corn are super crunchy and one of my favorite vegetable! They are even better when charred. The super creamy topping is cheesy, salty, spicy and tangy but I have taken out the mayonnaise. I promise you won’t even notice. I replaced garlic + chipotle powder with dry garlic chutney (which happens to be one bold indian condiment made with garlic, dried chillies, cumin & mustard seeds etc) This cheese sauce is mind-blowing and can be used on literally anything! The buttery corn is drizzled with the cheesy topping right off the grill. This indian fusion baby corn appetizer tastes so flavorful and takes hardly 15-20 minutes to make! Easy peasy. right?
Ingredients (Notes & Substitutions)
You need just 7 ingredients for this recipe.
Fresh Baby Corn - You can buy it at Trader Joes here in the US. You can used canned baby corn as well. I usually pick up jarred baby corn at Smiths (Kroger). Salted ButterSour Cream- Substitute with mexican crema or creme fraiche or slightly tangy plain yogurt.Dry Garlic Chutney ( or minced garlic + chipotle powder). You can easily buy dry garlic chutney at any indian grocer. Fresh Lime JuiceChopped CilantroCojita Cheese (or feta or grated parmesan cheese) - I usually buy the entire block of cojita or feta instead of crumbled. I find ready to use crumbled cheeses a bit dry but that could be just me.
How To Make Elote Baby Corn
These are so darn easy to make. Just 4 steps if using fresh or 3 steps if you are using canned baby corn.
Prepare the Baby Corn- Since I use fresh baby corn, I need to cook it first. I do it in 2 steps. Place the baby corn in a large bowl. Add some salt and pour boiling water over the baby corn. Let sit for 6-8 minutes or so. I find this works better for me than boiling directly on stove because I never ever over cook the baby corn. Skip this step if you are using canned baby corn. Drain and dry up the corn using a paper or kitchen towel.
Make The Sauce - While the baby corn is soaking in hot water, make the sauce. Mix up the 5 ingredients listed in the recipe card and keep the sauce ready.
Grill the Baby Corn - Toss baby corn with melted butter and grill on a hot cast iron griddle on all sides until you see noticeable marks. Charr them nicely. Alternatively, you can grill the corn on outside grill. Place the grilled baby corn in plate and drizzle the cheesy sauce and extra crumbled cheese. Serve while still warm!
Few Tips
Make sure that the baby corn are dry before they hit the grill else they will start steaming instead of charring on the drill. Dry garlic chutney is a bit on spicy side and I love the heat it adds. Simply use mild chipotle powder for less heat. Make it Vegan - Use avocado oil while grilling the corn. You can use soy or any plant based yogurt instead of sour cream. Bump up the lime juice for tanginess. Use vegan parmesan for the cheese. Dont like Corn? Use cauliflower or asparagus instead. Blanch the vegetables before grilling them. Make it Herby - If you love herbs in your food, add chopped scallions and extra finely chopped cilantro on top. Make it Extra Spicy - Add chopped jalapeños to the cheese sauce for a fresh grassy heat in every bite.
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