This dish is simple and flavourful. The sweetness of the corn, textured coconut, warm spices and piquant watercress work wonderfully well together to create complex layers of flavours; the bite comes mainly comes from the leaves. I serve it both as a side dish and a warm salad accompaniment to many grilled barbecue meals. Of course, watercress is more British than Indian but we have our fair share of peppery leaves and I have many memories of eating the leaves off the top of Indian radish, mouli, which were salted and drizzled with lemon juice. Great for the less adventurous and children (perhaps without the leaves, though).

Serves 3-4

1 tbs. butter (or vegetable oil if you prefer)

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. mustard seeds

12 curry leaves

350g. frozen or canned sweet corn, drained and washed

1 tsp. chopped ginger

250 ml milk

1-2 small dry red chillies (optional)

Salt to taste

2 tbs. flaked coconut, desiccated if you don’t have flaked

1 tsp. lemon juice or to taste

handful of watercress, washed

Heat the butter and oil in a small, non-stick saucepan and add the mustard seeds, covering the pan once they start to pop. Add the curry leaves, ginger and chillies and give the pot a good stir. Add the corn and milk; cook over a moderate flame until there is little moisture left in the pan, about 12-15 minutes.

Season and stir in the coconut, watercress and lemon juice to taste and serve.

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