This post contains affiliate links.
Growing up my favorite breakfast was vagharelu doda (sautéed corn) with orange juice. Weird right? But I loved it! In Gujarat, the world vagharelu is used to describe anything that is sautéed oil, cumin seeds, and turmeric and sometimes a few curry leaves. My mom would heat up some oil, fry some spices in it in and then add in fresh corn and toss. It smelled amazing and the spicy sweet flavor was my favorite! I was inspired by my mom’s breakfast corn to make this easy curry corn chowder.
I took a simple corn chowder recipe and used a tadka to give it that vaghar-like taste. A tadka is a mixture of spices that is fried in oil and then added to a dish at the very end to give it an extra pop of flavor. Tadkas are usually used in dals and soups. It’s similar to topping a soup with a finishing oil or cream. It makes that soup just a little richer.
I used a mixture of fresh and frozen corn in my recipe. I only had 2 corn cobs and I added some frozen to make my soup just a little thicker. This corn chowder recipe is also vegan! I used coconut milk instead of cream. It gives the corn chowder a little sweetness and the green chilis and red chili flakes give it some spiciness and heat.
I struggle-bused with what to call this recipe since it’s not exactly a curry (it’s a Western term that, to be honest, I still don’t really know the definition of) and people don’t really know what a vaghar or tadka is. I ended up with Curry Corn Chowder mostly because of the alliteration. Can you think of a better name for this dish? Help a girl out!
Also if you do make this dish, be sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram at @milkandcardamom!
Print
Curry Corn Chowder
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A spice-filled version of corn chowder. Sweet, spicy and perfect for the cold weather!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil or coconut oil
- 3/4 cup (88 g) red onion, 1/4 inch dice
- 2 (15 g) garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tbsp (4 g) ginger, minced
- 1/2 tbsp (4 g) green chili (serrano, jalapeno,etc) or to taste, minced
- 1 medium carrot (41 g), 1/4 inch dice
- 4 cups (485 g) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 tsp red chili flakes, or to taste
- 1 [14.5 oz] can of coconut milk
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) vegetable broth
- 1/2 tbsp (7 mL) lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
TADKA
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- pinch of asafoetida (optional)
- 8–12 curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Instructions
- Add vegetable oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic, ginger and green chili and saute for 1 minute. Stir in carrots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn kernels and red chili flakes and stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add coconut milk and vegetable broth. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Take off heat and stir in lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Take 1/3 of the soup and add it to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the blended soup back to the soup pot and mix well.
Tadka
- In a small saucepan, add the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Stir for 15 seconds and add curry leaves. Be careful when adding the curry leaves as they will sputter. Remove from heat and add turmeric powder. Pour the tadka over the soup and stir in. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: American, Indian
/>
