Palak Corn Recipe (Spinach Corn Curry, Makai Palak)
This mildly spiced Palak Corn (Spinach Corn Curry, Makai Palak) is a rich, creamy curry made with spinach, corn kernels, and a few other ingredients. It’s super easy to make at home. You should try my easy recipe.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 200 grams fresh spinach (palak)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2-3 green chilies
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 dry red chilies
- 1 cup finely chopped red onions
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 200 grams corn kernels check notes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
For Tempering
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 2 dry red chilies
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Instructions
Blanch The Spinach
- Heat 3-4 cups of water in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add baking soda and spinach leaves, then cook for 2 minutes, no longer. Press the spinach with the back of a ladle to submerge it in water. The spinach will look a lot at the beginning, but as it cooks, it will release water and shrink drastically.
- Drain the water through a mesh strainer, then run the spinach under cold water. This process of boiling the spinach and immediately dipping it in cold water is called blanching. This process helps retain the spinach’s bright green color.
Make Spinach Puree
- Put the blanched spinach in a blender with 2-3 green chilies, and blend until smooth.
- Add a few tablespoons of water, if needed, to help blend the spinach. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times using a small silicone spatula when blending.
Make The Curry
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and dried red chilies and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add onions and garlic and cook until onion turns translucent, stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Using the back of a spoon, mash the tomatoes so that they soften and release their juices.
- Now, add coriander powder and garam masala powder and cook for another minute.
- Add spinach puree and cook for a minute.
- Add corn kernels, salt, and ½ cup water, and bring the curry to a boil.
- If the curry looks thick, add some warm water and mix well.
- Add heavy cream and mix well. If making this curry for everyday meals, you can skip adding the cream. It will still taste delicious.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Switch off the heat.
- Add lime juice and mix well.
You can blend the masala in a blender at this stage for a creamier gravy.
Temper The Curry
- Heat ghee in a small pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add garlic, dry red chilies, asafetida, and cumin seeds. Cook until garlic is light brown.
- Pour the tempering over the curry and mix well.
- Serve hot. Garnish with a drizzle of cream if desired.
Instead of mixing the tempering into the curry, transfer the ready curry to the serving bowl, then pour the tempering over it. It will look great when you serve it to your guests.
Video
Notes
You can use either fresh spinach or frozen spinach in this recipe. If you are using frozen packets, then thaw them to room temperature before using. Also, use half the quantity of frozen spinach as you would fresh, since it is already blanched and has lost moisture. You can also use baby spinach in place of regular spinach.
Use fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels. If using frozen corn, soak it in warm water for 10 minutes to plump up the kernels. If using fresh corn kernels, boil them in water until tender. Then use them in the curry.
You can roast a corn cob over direct flame until it is charred, then shuck it and add the roasted kernels to the gravy.
You can also use canned corn. Just make sure to drain and rinse them with water to remove the metallic brine taste before adding to the curry.
Adjust the green chilies as per your taste. I used Indian green chilies, but you can use any variety you have available.
If you live in India, you can use fresh cream (malai) instead of heavy cream.
To give the curry a smoky flavor, heat a charcoal piece for the Dhungar until it is red hot over a direct flame. Keep a bowl inside the bowl with curry, and keep the hot coal in it. Pour a teaspoon of ghee over the coal and immediately close the lid of the main bowl. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Open the lid, remove the coal piece and the small bowl, and gently mix the curry.
Instead of mixing the tempering with the curry, you can transfer the ready curry to the serving bowl and then pour the tempering over it. It will look great when you serve it to your guests.
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 874mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5428IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
