“At the age of 83 my grandma has somewhat unreliable hips, but I have never seen her move so quickly to the dining table as when this curry is on the menu. It’s not just one of her favourites, it’s also on the A-list of curries for a lot of Gujaratis. There are no onions or garlic in this dish, but the ground peanuts, chickpea flour and yoghurt add a real depth of flavour and savoury nuttiness.”
Chef Meera Sodha, UK
Feeds 4
Ingredients
120g unsalted peanuts, preferably red-skinned (plus extra to serve)
6 corncobs
5 tbsp rapeseed oil
60g chickpea (gram) flour
300ml Greek yoghurt
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp caster sugar
Method
Grind the peanuts to a fine consistency in a spice grinder or food processor and set aside.
De-husk the cobs and pull off any silky strands.
Make a deep horizontal cut halfway down each cob and break in half.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the corn and boil for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender, then drain.
Put the oil into a large, lidded frying pan over a low–medium heat and, once hot, add the chickpea flour, stirring continuously to smooth out any lumps. After around 4 minutes it will start to turn a pinkish brown. When it does, add the ground peanuts, turn the heat right down and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the yoghurt, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and sugar to the pan. Stir to mix, then increase the heat to medium. Slowly ladle in 600ml of water, stirring until you have a smooth consistency.
Put the corncobs into the pan, cover with the lid and leave to heat through for around 5 minutes, until the sauce is the consistency of double cream. Transfer to a serving dish or individual bowls and scatter over some crushed peanuts. Serve with rice or chapatis and encourage people to get stuck in with their hands.