Corn Raita Salad

If you are looking for a fresh and tasty accompaniment to your steak this summer, you should really try this recipe, from Todd English's appearance on The Nate Berkus Show.  It's a breeze to whip up and it's very seasonal, since corn is plentiful in the summer.  We eat it instead of mashed potatoes or another starchy side dish when we have steak.  But you can have it with chicken, fish, or even on its own.  I was never really crazy about greek yogurt, but now I can't get enough of it!

Corn Raita Salad
Yield: Serves 6

The inspiration for this recipe is from the classic Indian condiment, raita. The addition of corn makes it a whole new dish. Toasting the corn draws out all its lovely sweetness and adds a great texture to the corn. This is so simple, yet so satisfying. I try to keep a batch on hand in the fridge to add to tacos, sandwiches, or to top crab cakes, but I usually end up eating it one spoonful at a time every 20 minutes or so over the course of a day. Try a few spoonfuls on top of grilled summer fish such as striped bass or bluefish—nirvana.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh corn kernels (this is preferable to frozen or canned corn because it's firm)
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups thick, Greek-style yogurt
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a dry cast iron skillet over high heat, toast the corn. Let the corn cook about 1 minute, then scrape and stir it around the pan, until it gets browned in spots. Be careful, sometimes the corn will pop and jump in the pan. Remove to a plate to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the onion, cilantro, cumin, yogurt, and corn. Stir gently, then season generously with salt and pepper.