Nisha Katona’s street-hawker sweetcorn brings the heat – and the theatre

The Mowgli Street Food founder shares a fiery, flavour-packed recipe inspired by the late-night markets of the East – and insists the best way to serve it is to let your guests get stuck in

Sweetcorn can be a major showstopper (Yuki Segiura)

“Nothing speaks of a late-night street market in the East more than the golden flickering embers of a sweetcorn hawker’s stall,” says Nisha Katona, star of new ITV1 series, Nisha Katona’s Home Kitchen.

“The delicious combination of sharp and heat make these far more than a side-show – they are the very reason that many venture out into the streets at all. These are great cooked under the grill/broiler or on the barbecue. For extra theatre, I like to ask my guests to dress their own pieces of corn before cooking.”

Nisha Katona’s street-hawker sweetcorn

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

‘30 Minute Mowgli’ is packed with punchy, fuss-free recipes (Nourish Books)

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 lime, halved

4 corn on the cob

Method:

1. Preheat the grill/broiler to high and line a grill pan with foil, or prepare a barbecue/grill for cooking.

2. Put the oil, salt, chilli powder and ground cumin in a bowl and stir to combine. Dip the cut sides of the lime halves into the oil-and-spice mixture, then rub all over the pieces of corn. Re-dip as necessary, until the corn is well-coated.

3. Put the corn onto the prepared grill pan and under the grill, or place directly onto the barbecue and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning regularly and basting with any remaining spiced oil, until lightly charred and golden all over. Serve hot.

Recipe from ‘30 Minute Mowgli’ by Nisha Katona (Nourish Books, £25).