Masala Corn
Steamed corn tossed with butter, chaat masala, and lime — the mall-cup snack, honest version.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 300 g Corn kernels
- 20 g Butter
- ¾ tsp Chaat masala
- ½ Lime
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Red chili powder (optional)
- 1 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Boil the corn kernels until hot and tender, about 4 minutes.
- Drain the corn well in a colander and shake off the excess water.
- Roughly chop the cilantro leaves for the topping. (optional)
- Toss the hot corn in a bowl with the butter, the chaat masala, the chili powder, the salt, and the lime juice until the butter melts and coats every kernel.
- Serve the masala corn in cups, street-style, with the cilantro and extra lime on top.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Masala Corn
Masala corn is the honest home version of the buttery, spiced corn cups sold at Indian malls and movie theaters, where a paper cup of hot kernels gets shaken with tangy chaat masala. It is street-food snacking at its simplest: sweet corn kernels boiled until tender, then tossed while hot with butter, chili powder, and a squeeze of lime. The defining seasoning is chaat masala, a tangy-savory blend built around black salt and dried mango powder that gives the corn its unmistakable sour, slightly sulfurous punch. Cilantro on top adds freshness and a burst of color.
The whole appeal rests on doing it while the corn is piping hot, because the residual heat melts the butter so it coats every kernel and helps the powdered spices cling instead of sliding off. At around ten minutes start to finish, it is about as fast as a satisfying snack gets, and it needs no special equipment beyond a pot and a bowl. Low in calories yet genuinely craveable, masala corn is best served street-style in cups with extra lime on the side. It works as a quick evening bite, a movie snack, or a light appetizer before a bigger Indian meal.
Masala Corn: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Masala Corn?
One serving of Masala Corn has about 205 calories, with 5g of protein, 24g of carbs, 11g of fat and 4g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Masala Corn gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Masala Corn has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Masala Corn dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Butter. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Masala Corn?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out red chili powder, cilantro — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Masala Corn make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.