WARM MEXICAN CORN SALAD/ESQUITES
Warm Mexican Corn Salad, also known as Esquites is a tangy and spicy salad that I love to have not as a side dish but as a light delicious meal. What I like about this salad that it is versatile in several ways.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels I used approx 3 cobs
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 large red onion
- ¼ cup feta cheese or cotija cheese
- ¼ cup fresh coriander chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon/lime juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp cumin seed powder
- ¼ tsp pepper powder
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tbsp oil
Instructions
- First of all peel the leaves off the cob, remove the silky threads and run a knife lengthwise to cut the corn kernels off the cob.
- Peel and dice the onion.
- Cut the tomatoes into halves, scoop out the pulp. Dice the tomatoes.
- Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Add the butter and stir to melt. Immediately add the corn kernel.
- Add salt and mix well. Cover the pan and allow the corn to cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on tender the corn is. If using canned or precooked corn then the stir fry till it becomes hot.
- Add paprika, pepper,cumin seed and red chilli powders. Mix well.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Add chopped tomatoes, onion and lemon/lime juice. Mix well.
- Then add in the chopped coriander and feta cheese. Mix well.
- If using sour cream or mayonnaise then mix that in.
- Serve warm salad immedaitely with some extra sour cream and lemon wedge on the side.
Notes
- Don't throw away the tomato pulp. Add it to dals, curries or soups.
- Replace sour cream with mayonnaise if you prefer.
- Don't overcook the corn as you don't want it to become hard and chewy.
- If you don't get fresh corn, use frozen or canned.
- The quantity of ingredients is a rough guideline for the recipe, use more or less of any ingredients you prefer.
- Add chopped avocado, bell pepper.
- I prefer adding a bit of oil as that prevents the butter from burning.