MAKKA KA CHA VADA

Makka ka chi Vada is a delicious and mouth-watering crispy vada made with sweet corn, boiled potatoes, and spices; deep fried until golden in colour. Excellent appetizer from the Maharashtrian cuisine! Makka ka chi vada is simple to prepare and is also known by various names such as corn vada, mokkajonna vada or mokka jonna garelu in Telugu or Bhutte ke vade. Rainy season and the corns are full in market in India. The markets are loaded with delicious fresh sweet corn where one can make a variety of dishes with it. Fresh sweet corns are widely used in making of soups, salads, fritters etc. There are varieties of vada that we can make for example: a normal basic vada made with urad dal, masala vada, sabudana vada, dahi vada, ragi vada etc.

There are many versions of making the makka ka chi vada also. This version contains coarse sweet corn paste, boiled potatoes, fresh herbs and spices that enhance the taste of the vada. You could also adjust other spices as per your taste. Sweet corn is also known as sugar corn or pole corn and is a variety of maize with high sugar content. Sweet corn is picked when immature (milk stage) and prepared and eaten as a vegetable, rather than a grain. Sweet corn is usually eaten fresh or they are canned or frozen. If the kernels get dried, they become tough and starchy, hence most of the times; the fresh kernels are boiled or steamed sprinkled with some salt and eaten. They are used as pizza topping or in salads.

Corn on the cob is a sweet corn cob that has been boiled, steamed, or grilled whole; the kernels are then eaten directly off the cob or cut off. Creamed corn is a sweet corn served in a milk or cream sauce. Sweet corn can also be eaten as baby corn. Sweet corn soup is a very popular dish made with corns. In India, corn is called as butta or makka or makki. Most Indians love to eat roasting the corns on the charcoal or boiled especially during rainy and winter season. Makki ki roti is very Indian flat bread made from corn flour and truly a delight to our palate. Fresh sweet corn has a nice, sweet taste, smooth texture, appealing to eye and complements with any other vegetable if added in mixed vegetable curry or soups or salads etc. 

To prepare this delicious, fresh and crispy Makka chi vada, firstly heat oil in a pan and when the oil gets hot, add fennel, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, green chillies and sauté. Reduce the flame and add the rest of the spices, corn paste, grated potatoes and mix well. 

Add salt to taste and pinch of sugar. Mix all the ingredients well together. Now add poha and besan atta and mix. Switch off the flame and allow this mixture to cool. Sprinkle little corn flour and mix. Heat oil in pan for deep frying the vadas. 

Take small dumplings of the corn mixture and form into desired shapes and keep aside.  When the oil is hot, gently drop in the corn vadas and fry until they turn golden in colour. Remove, drain oil and serve hot with any type of sauce or chutney. Serve hot with tomato sauce, chilli sauce, anjeer sauce etc. 

Sweet corn is one of the most popular vegetables. It is prized by adults and children mainly of its sweet flavour. This vegetable, although being sweet and delicious, is a great source of many vitamins and minerals. Sweet corn is very rich in vitamin B1, vitamin B5, vitamin C, phosphorus, manganese, folate and dietary fibre.

 Because of the vitamins contained in sweet corn, many health benefits can be associated with the consumption of this delicious vegetable. Cooked sweet corn has significant antioxidant activity and has been suggested to reduce the chance of heart disease and cancer. Vada made with sweet corn is truly refreshing and great to taste.

 Do try this recipe as kids would surely love the taste. 

Enjoy Cooking!