Corn Snack ( with peanuts and sesame)- Vaghareli makai

I declare  Migraine Season open. The temps are mounting and stepping out feels like I am stepping into a furnace. Thank god for 24 hr stores, shopping after sundown will be a bit more bearable.

But on the sunny side.... there are mounds of luscious fruit, just waiting to be devoured, sitting comfortably with the air-conditioning humming in the background and books to read are compensation enough. 

What are your favorite summer time activities?

Summer also means a season to picnic (after sundown or on the days rain is predicted, for me). And picnic means food (like I need a reason! ) 

My friends and I planned a small picnic for the Fourth of July. There are plenty of parks and lakes around where I live and though it was crowded we found  a nice spot and opened our chairs and laid out a groundsheet and piled the food and water and juice there and enjoyed our evening.

The kids had fun splashing in the lake and playing Frisbee (and not quite catching it) and as the time for fireworks drew closer, we  sat down for our favorite activity, eating.

As with a picnic, we had a lot of snack-y food, sandwiches , Vada-paav, paneer pulav and I took along this corn snack. 

It is a breeze to make and great for picnic food. 

The recipe is adapted from Prashad by Kaushy Patel.  This book is a treasure. I am so glad and really, really lucky to have won it! 

A vegetarian cookbook featuring Gujarati cuisine as well as many popular North Indian curries. A wonderful selection of recipes in every section ( appetizer, mains, desserts etc) and with simple to follow instructions.  

Many recipes are vegan (or can be made vegan) and are also labelled, nut-free, wheat free or onion and garlic free etc. 

The book however has measurements in grams and those who are not used to the metric system may have to puzzle it out! 

2-3 Tbsp Oil (the author recommends Sunflower, but I used Canola)

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/4 tsp Asafetida

2 tins Corn Kernels ( I used one small packet of frozen corn- rinsed under tap water and microwaved for 1 minute- this is optional)

1/3 cup raw, unsalted Peanuts (coarsely chop)

1/2 tsp Salt

2 handfuls Fresh, finely chopped Cilantro

2 tsp. Sesame seeds

Sev

1 lemon quartered

Grind to a paste:

3 Green chilies ( less if you want mild taste or for children)

2 cloves Garlic

2 cm Ginger piece

Pinch Salt

Make the spice paste.

Heat oil in a wok / kadhai over medium high and add mustard seeds. After the seeds pop, add asafetida and corn. Combine well, raise the heat to high and stir fry for a minute.

Add turmeric and the masala paste and mix well to combine and cook for  30-40 seconds, add the peanuts, cilantro, salt and sesame seeds.  Reduce heat to medium and cook the mixture for  3-4 minutes, uncovered.

Remove from heat, check seasoning, add salt if needed. If not, cover and let it rest for 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle.

Serve with a sprinkling of sev and keep a lemon wedge on the side.

NOTES:

I used roasted unsalted peanuts as I seldom have unroasted peanuts at home.

I skipped sev when I made this the first time and we liked it even without!

M wants me to try it without garlic the next time I make some. It will make a nice variation.

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