Corn Kosambari is a corn-based salad from the kitchens of Karnataka. It is a medley of steamed corn, grated carrots, pomegranate, and a generous drizzle of lime!
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Corn Kosambari
Corn Kosambari is a salad very popular in Karnataka homes, especially during festivals and weddings.
Kosambari is a common word used for salad in Kannada.
This salad is sweet, spicy and sour, with all the notes being contributed from the multiple ingredients in this scrumptious salad. This salad’s chief ingredient is corn along with multiple garnishings, such as grated coconut and lime juice.
It is one of the Kosambari varieties that I always look forward to eating at weddings.
Ingredients for Corn Kosambari
The main ingredient is, of course, corn. You can use fresh corn, slice and pressure cook them or you can use frozen corn that requires just thawing. In South Bangalore, especially in the Gandhi Bazaar and DVG road area, you will find carts of corn available shucked from the cob. This is going to save you that extra step.
In this recipe, I am listing the ingredient quantities with the assumption of using one cup of corn (180-200g).
The next ingredient is yellow moong dal. For every cup of corn you use for this kosambari, you can use up to one heaped tablespoon of yellow moong dal.
Other ingredients.
- – Pomegranate – a handful
- – Grated carrot – one small, grated
- – Chopped green chillies – 1 large, finely chopped. If you do not want the salad to be too spicy, you may remove the seeds and the white vein from the green chillies.
- – Golden raisins – 8-10
For the garnish
- – Coriander leaves – 2/3 sprigs, washed and finely chopped
- – Grated coconut – 1 tablespoon
- – Lemon juice – 1 small lemon
For the seasoning
- – Cooking oil – 1 teaspoon
- – Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
- – Split Urad dal – 1/2 teaspoon
- – Curry leaves – 1 or 2 sprigs (washed and dried0
- – Asafoetida powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Salt and pepper are the last ingredients you need to finish making this mouthwatering salad.
How to put together Corn Kosambari
The first step is to wash and soak the yellow moong dal for twenty minutes. Once soaking is complete, drain the water and it’s ready for the salad.
If you do not have pomegranate pearls ready, you can open out one pomegranate and keep aside a handful for the kosambari. Adding the pomegranate adds sweetness to the salad.
You may then grate one small carrot for this recipe.
If you are going to use fresh corn, cut out the corn kernels from the cob. Pressure cook the corn kernels for 2 whistles and allow the pressure to come down naturally. If you are using frozen corn, you may just add the corn kernels to a bowl of hot water to defrost them. Frozen corn has already been pre-cooked, so cooking it again is not necessary.
Combine cooked corn, pomegranate, grated carrot, raisins, soaked yellow moong dal, and chopped green chillies in a large bowl.
Garnishing the Kosambari
Next, to garnish this salad, add finely chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut and drizzle lemon juice.
The next step is to season the corn kosambari. Take a tadka pan and place it on medium heat. Add in a teaspoon of cooking oil. Once the oil is warm, add the mustard seeds and split urad dal. Once they sputter, turn off the flame and add the asafoetida and curry leaves.
Seasoning the Kosambari
Now, add this tadka to the corn kosambari and mix all the ingredients well. The corn kosambari is almost ready.
When you are ready to serve, add 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper powder and mix well. Adjust the salt level according to your taste and serve this Corn Kosambari with rasam rice and potato curry.
Storage and Shelf Life
If you are planning to serve Corn Kosambari at a later time, mix all ingredients except the salt. You may also add the tadka and garnish it just before serving the salad.
If you have leftovers, place it in an air-tight container and you can store it in the fridge up to 2 days. The Kosamabri might not be fresh, but it will taste alright.
For the beginners
If you’re making corn Kosambari for the first time and find the number of ingredients overwhelming, you can skip a few from each section. Use only the cooked corn, lemon juice and finish with a tadka of mustard seeds. This will definitely taste fantastic too.
The first time I made Corn Kosambari, I took a long time to prep each ingredient. Nowadays, since my fridge always has pomegranate, grated coconut and washed coriander leaves ready all the time, it is easy for me to put it together.
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Recipe
Corn Kosambari
Ingredients
- 1 cup Corn frozen
- 1 tbsp Yellow moong dal soaked
- 1/4 cup Pomegranate Pearls
- 1 Carrot small, grated
- 1 Green Chilli large, finely chopped
- 8-9 Raisins
Garnish
- 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves washed, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Grated Coconut
- 1 Lime
For the Tadka
- 1 tsp Cooking Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Split Urad dal
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida Powder
- 2-3 sprigs Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Wash and soak the yellow moong dal in water for 20 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.
- If using frozen corn, add the corn to hot water and allow it to defrost for 5 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and add it to a large mixing bowl. If you are using fresh corn, boil the corn kernels in water until tender or pressure- cook for 2 whistles.
- Add all the ingredients that you have prepped for the Corn Kosambari. Mix well.
- Now, garnish with chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut and lime juice.
- The next step is to season the salad. In a tadka pan, add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Once it's warm, add the mustard seeds and urad dal. Once the sputter, turn off the flame and add asafoetida powder and curry leaves.Pour this tadka over the salad and mix well.
- Finally, season with salt and pepper, mix well and serve immediately.
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