Tips for buying corn on the cob
Corn is an abundant crop in the United States. However, here are some tips for buying corn for this recipe:
Buy fresh corn in the months of May - September and frozen corn cobs in the offseason. Frozen corn is often frozen at its peak so it is often as good as fresh corn. Just remember to thaw the corn before you use it. Buy corn labeled as sweet corn. There are 3 varieties of corn: sweet corn, dent corn, and flint corn. Sweet corn is the best for corn on the cob because, as its name suggests, it lends itself to a nice sweetness that the others don’t. Heavier corn cobs tend to be juicier than lighter cobs. Look for white/yellow/light brown tassels on the bottom of the cob and avoid dark black or moldy tassels/strings. The fresher corn cobs will have lighter tassels.
Cooking corn in oven vs. on grill vs. on stovetop
You can cook corn on the cob in various ways including the oven, grill, and stovetop. My preferred method is either the grill or stovetop as it is most convenient for me in the summers to keep the oven off. However, here are the steps for cooking corn using the various methods:
Cook corn in the oven: Set the oven to 400F, brush corn with oil, and roast for ~10 minutes before turning and cooking for another 10 minutes. For the last minute, turn the oven to the broil setting and allow the corn to pick up even more char marks. Cook corn on the grill: Husk the corn, brush it with oil, and directly place it on the grill on medium heat (375F). Rotate corn about every minute until all sides are speckled with black marks. Cook corn on the stovetop: Place a pan, ideally a heavy bottomed pan like a cast iron or grill pan, on the stovetop on medium-high heat. Husk the corn, brush it with oil, place it on the pan, and rotate the corn about every minute until all sides are speckled with black marks. If you also have a gas stove, I would recommend placing the corn directly on a chapathi grill pan to get a deep dark char similar to what you would get on the grill.
Substitutions and dietary changes
Here are some substitutions for ingredients in this recipe:
Chapathi Grill
This chapathi grill is what I use to get deep char marks on the corn on stovetop. Buy the grill →
Corn on the cob substitutes: You can opt to use frozen corn on the cob instead of fresh or use frozen corn kernels for a de-constructed version. If you are using frozen cobs, make sure to thaw them. The frozen kernels don’t need to be thawed but can go straight into the pan until they cook and char. Cayenne powder substitutes: If you don’t like as much heat, Kashmiri chili powder is a good substitute for cayenne. Ultimately, choose a chili powder that you like the best. Chaat masala substitutes: If you don’t have chaat masala, the best substitute is amchur powder. Both of these ingredients are commonly found in Indian grocery stores or online. However, you can also opt to skip the chaat masala and zest two limes for the tanginess that chaat masala provides. Make it vegan: You can make this recipe vegan by replacing the regular butter with vegan butter or margarine.
Storage and reheating instructions
You can make the masala corn on the cob up to 4 days in advance and store it in the fridge. To reheat the corn, simply wrap it up in foil and heat in the oven at 375F until warmed through or place on a large plate to reheat it in the microwave.
