Sweetcorn Rojak
Grill sweetcorn in the oven or on the barbecue for an easy summer salad perfect for enjoying as part of an al fresco feast.
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Introduction
Rojaks are South East Asian salads, typically full of high-season vegetables, fruit, leaves and crunch, with sweet and sour in lively balance. There is nothing shy about a rojak. I eat variations on the theme whenever the sun is high (or I want the feeling it is). Frequently the result of taking its spirit to whatever is in the kitchen or is doing well in the garden takes it further from its spiritual home. No matter: if this leans towards Mexico and Spain as much as South East Asia, the flavour is compromised not one bit.
Kikos are fried, salted nuggets of sweetcorn, and very easily consumed with a cold one watching a match. If you can’t find them locally or online, try crushed pistachios or Bombay mix.
Ingredients
| 1 tsp | chilli flakes |
| 1 tsp | smoked paprika |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 4 | ears of sweetcorn, quartered lengthways |
| 1 | large red onion, sliced into rounds |
| 300g (10 oz) | cherry tomatoes, whole |
| 4 | courgettes (zucchini), cut in half lengthways |
| 2 tbsp | extra virgin olive oil |
| 2 | limes: 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges |
| small bunch of | coriander (cilantro), finely chopped |
| 100g (3½oz) | kikos, partially crushed |
| flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the tamarind dressing: | |
|---|---|
| 3 tbsp | tamarind paste |
| 2 tsp | brown sugar |
| juice of 2 | limes |
| 2 tbsp | extra virgin olive oil |
| flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Method
Preheat the grill (broiler) to a medium-high heat.
In a small bowl, mix together the chilli flakes, smoked paprika, ground cumin and some salt and pepper.
Brush the sweetcorn, onion, tomatoes and courgettes with the olive oil, place on a baking tray, and generously sprinkle the spice mixture over, coating evenly. Place under the grill and cook for about 8–10 minutes until they are charred and tender. Remove from the heat and squeeze over the lime juice.
Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing, then drizzle this over the grilled vegetables. Scatter with the coriander and kikos, with the lime wedges on the side.
VEGAN: Yes.
GF: Yes.
SEASONAL SWAPS: Treat this as a core recipe that you can play around with; make it as is so you get the feel of it, and as long as you keep the overall weight of vegetables the same, you can experiment as you like.
