
Gujarati Vaghara Makkai
Sweetcorn coated in a ginger-green chilli paste with a mustard-seed tempering, finished with lime and crushed peanuts. It tastes sweet, spicy and tangy, with a little crunch.
Whole spices for the tempering
3.8 gAdded to the hot oil at the start (step 2)Turmeric for the paste
3 gStirred in after the chilli-ginger paste is fried (step 4)Everything else
Method
- Blend 2 g green bird's-eye chilli, 9 g garlic, 10 g ginger and about 3 tbsp of the 520 g sweetcorn to a coarse paste. Set aside.
- Heat 40.5 g vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the whole spices for the tempering (0.3 g asafoetida and 3.5 g black mustard seed) and fry for a few seconds until they crackle.
- Add the chilli-ginger paste and fry for 1 minute, stirring.
- Stir in the turmeric for the paste (3 g ground turmeric), then add the rest of the 520 g sweetcorn and fry for 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat, season with salt, and add 1.5 g coriander and 9 g crushed roasted peanut. Cover and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in 25 g lime juice and serve warm.
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Sweetcorn kernel

Canned sweetcorn kernelUse the same drained weight; rinse and add near the end so it does not overcook.
Fresh sweetcornUse the same weight of kernels, boiled for 3–5 minutes before adding; it is crunchier and sweeter.
Frozen peasUse the same weight as a quick stand-in in mixed vegetable dishes; colour and sweetness differ, so adjust salt and spices.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Asafoetida

Garlic powderUse double the weight. Stir into hot oil just before adding wet ingredients; mimics the allium savoury background without the sulphurous edge.
Garlic pasteUse 2 g for every 0.5 g of asafoetida. Sauté in oil until the raw smell clears; adds moisture and sweet allium depth.

Black mustard seed

Mustard seedsUse equal weight. Pop in hot fat until they crackle and turn greyish; yields an almost identical nutty, pungent finish.
Yellow mustard seedsUse equal weight. Fry over medium heat; delivers a milder, sweeter pop and turns bitter quickly if the oil is excessively hot.

Ground turmeric

Ground gingerUse 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.
SaffronSteep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Coriander

Coriander leafUse equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.
MintUse 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

Peanut

Roasted peanutUse the same weight; adjust salt if they are already salted, and crush or grind as the recipe asks.
Cashew nutUse the same weight; they are richer and softer, so roast for a shorter time and reduce added fat.
AlmondUse the same weight; blanch and peel for sauces, or chop for texture. They are firmer and less oily.

Lime

LemonUse the same weight; sharper and less floral, so reduce any extra souring slightly.
Lemon juiceUse about 30 g juice per lime (2 tbsp), strain pips; add at the end for fresh sourness.
Dried mango powderUse 1 g amchoor for about 15 g lime juice; add early with spices; gives dry mango sourness, not citrus aroma.

Green bird's eye chilli

Bird's eye green chilliUse the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.
Green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.
Fresh green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Garlic

Garlic pasteUse equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.
Garlic powderUse 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.
ShallotUse 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Fresh ginger

Ginger pasteUse equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.
Ground gingerUse 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.
Similar dishes

- Same: Indore Bhutte Ki Kees shares sweetcorn, vegetable oil, a mustard-seed tempering, asafoetida, ginger, green chilli and turmeric with this dish.
- Different: Indore Bhutte Ki Kees adds whole milk and fresh coconut for creaminess plus cumin seed, kashmiri chilli powder and chaat masala, and it lacks this dish's lime, peanuts and garlic.

- Same: Makai Butta shares corn, lime, salt and chilli with this dish.
- Different: Makai Butta uses charred corn on the cob rubbed with lime, salt and mild chilli powder, while this dish uses sweetcorn kernels tempered with mustard seed, asafoetida, turmeric, ginger, garlic, green chilli and peanuts in vegetable oil.

- Same: Makkai Butta shares sweetcorn, lime and chilli heat with this dish.
- Different: Makkai Butta uses whole corn cobs chargrilled and brushed with melted butter, Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander leaf, while this dish uses sweetcorn kernels with oil, mustard seed, asafoetida, turmeric, garlic, ginger, green bird's-eye chilli, lime and crushed peanuts.

- Same: Gujarati Moong Dal Dhokla shares ginger, green bird's-eye chilli, lime, vegetable oil, asafoetida, black mustard seed and coriander with this dish, and both use a mustard-seed tempering and lime as the souring agent.
- Different: Gujarati Moong Dal Dhokla uses soaked green moong dal steamed with fruit salt as its main ingredient, while this dish uses sweetcorn cooked in oil with a ginger-green chilli paste; it also adds sesame seed, curry leaf and sugar, which this dish lacks, and this dish adds peanuts and turmeric.
























