The sweet but healthy corn

Sweet corn, as you would have definitely spotted in the malls and hypermarkets, is a fast food with nutrients and sweetness. Sweet corn is a special maize variety technically different from the field-grown maize. Its kernel is much more tender, sweet and consumed as a vegetable across the globe. Its has achieved great success as one of the important cash crops in many tropical and semi-tropical countries. In contrast to the field corn, sweet corn crops are harvested when their corn ears just reached milky stage to make sure they stay tender and juicy when cooked. The kernel is used immediately or tinned or frozen for storage and later use. Corn is native to Central America and which later travelled with Spanish explorers. Corn Salt and PepperIngredientsServes 2Sweet corn kernels 2 cupCorn flour 3 tbspRice flour 4 tbspBlack pepper powder 1/3 tspSalt to tasteTo stir fryBell peppers, chopped ½ cupCoriander leaves chopped 4 tbspOnion, chopped 3 tbspGreen chilli, chopped 1 tspSoy sauce 1 tspVinegar 1 tspBlack pepper powder a pinchOil to deep fryMethodDrain the water from the tinned corn and keep aside in a bowl.Add salt and black pepper powder and toss the kernels.Sprinkle rice flour and corn flour and mix with a spoon, do not add water. Heat oil in a wide heavy bottom pan and deep fry the corn kernel. Stir to separate the corn kernels sticking to each other.When the corn kernels are crispy, remove from oil and place on absorbent kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.In a separate sauté pan or wok, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add chopped onion, bell peppers, green chillies and stir fry over high heat.Add fresh coriander, soy sauce, vinegar and a pinch of black pepper powder and mix.Add the crispy fried corn and toss to combine with the mixture.Serve hot garnished with lemon wedge and salad on the side.Get to know your cornThe corn is also known as “maize” in many countries and comes from the Spanish word “maiz”. There can be as many as 300 uses of corn and it’s by products. It is one of the most versatile and commonly used food items. Corn is a cereal crop but is a part of grass family. An ear or cob of corn is actually part of the flower and an individual kernel is a seed. On an average, an ear of corn has 800 kernels in 16 rows. One interesting fact about corn is that it will always have an even number of rows on each cob. Corn is one crop that is grown everywhere except Antarctica. As well as being eaten by the cob or a kernel, corn is also processed and is used as a major component in many food items like cereals, peanut butter, soups, yoghurt, mayonnaise, mash potato powder, bakery flour premixes, oil, baby foods, ice creams processed meats and many more. Next time read the label on your processed food, you will definitely find corn or it’s by products in the contents. Even non edible items like glue, paint, detergents, soaps, cosmetics, polish, plastic manufacturing, and fireworks use corn to produce them. United States of America is the largest producer and exporter of corn and produces 40 % of the entire world’s total harvest. The states where corn is grown in abundant and the demographic conditions are ideal are Ohio, Wisconsin, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, Minnesota, Indians, Michigan, Kansas and Kentucky. Corn was also used as a trade in currency in among early settlers in America. Reasons to include corn in your dietI read many articles that state to remove corn from your diet due to its sugar content. But I was not convinced, so I did some research on the nutritional aspects of corn and below are the main reasons to include this food item in your diet. Sweet corn is not so sugary: The most common thing you hear about corn is its sugar contents. In fact an ear of corn has a quarter of sugar as compared to an apple and same amount of calories. And you thought it was full of sugar.It is nutrient rich: Corn along with other vegetables is rich in nutrients and also includes anti-oxidants like beta-carotene, the carotenoids that give the vegetables their distinctive colour. Corn is also a rich source of Vitamin B and Vitamin C, along with magnesium and potassium.Corn is gluten free: For people who are gluten intolerant, this is like a blessing in disguise. Sweet corn is naturally gluten free. In its flour form, corn is used to make gluten free pasta, which is a healthy alternate to wheat pasta. It is fibrous: Doctors always advise us to increase the intake of fibre in out diet. An average daily intake for most people is 20gm as compared to the recommended daily intake of 30gm. Corn is a rich source of fibre, which is good for our digestive track.It supports good bacteria: Sweet corn has high amounts of insoluble fibre and that is the reason the husk of corn kernels are not digested, which in turn is good for our digestive tract as it acts as the feed for the good bacteria in our body.