Make Street-Style Smoky Corn Without A Grill At Home Using This Kitchen Hack
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Rub the hot corn with a lemon wedge dipped in black salt and red chilli powder. The smoky, tangy, and spicy flavours recreate the magic of street-style bhutta at home.
You don’t need a grill or charcoal—just a pressure cooker and this simple hack to get perfectly smoky roasted corn at home.
(Image: Canva)
Nothing says monsoon evenings quite like a hot, smoky corn on the cob rubbed with lemon, chilli, and black salt. While the authentic flavour of street-side bhutta usually comes from roasting it over charcoal, recreating that taste at home isn’t always easy—especially if you don’t have a grill or access to coal.
However, there is a simple kitchen hack that can help you make smoky, perfectly roasted corn in just a few minutes using a regular pressure cooker: no sand, no salt, and no special equipment required.
What You’ll Need
- 1-2 fresh corn cobs, husked
- 1 tsp ghee or butter
- A small cotton towel or handkerchief
- Lemon wedges, black salt, and red chilli powder for serving
Method
Step 1: Grease The Cooker
Start by lightly greasing the base of a pressure cooker with ghee or butter. This helps prevent sticking and adds a rich, roasted aroma to the corn.
Step 2: Add A Damp Cotton Towel
Soak a small cotton towel in water and squeeze it thoroughly. It should be damp, not dripping wet.
Spread the towel evenly at the bottom of the cooker. This creates the right balance of heat and moisture, allowing the corn to roast without burning.
Step 3: Place The Corn
Arrange the corn cobs on top of the damp towel. If they’re too large, you can cut them into smaller pieces to fit comfortably inside the cooker.
Step 4: Remove The Gasket And Whistle
Close the pressure cooker lid, but make sure to remove both the rubber gasket and the pressure regulator (whistle) before cooking.
This allows heat to circulate while preventing pressure from building up inside.
Step 5: Roast On Low Heat
Place the cooker on the stove and heat it on a medium flame for 1-2 minutes. Once the cooker is hot, reduce the flame to low and let the corn roast for about 5 minutes.
Switch off the heat and carefully open the lid.
You should find beautifully roasted corn with lightly charred spots and a smoky aroma that closely resembles charcoal-roasted bhutta.
Serve It The Street-Style Way
While the corn is still hot, rub it with a lemon wedge dipped in black salt and red chilli powder. The combination of smoky corn, tangy lemon, and spicy seasoning brings the flavours of your favourite roadside bhutta right into your kitchen.
Important Tips To Remember
- Always remove the whistle and rubber gasket before heating the cooker
- Use only a 100% cotton towel; avoid synthetic fabrics
- The towel should be damp, not soaking wet, or the corn may steam instead of roasting
- Greasing the base with ghee or butter helps enhance flavour and prevents scorching
- Keep the flame low after the initial heating stage for the best results
The next time you are craving roasted corn but don’t have a grill, give this clever pressure-cooker trick a try. It’s quick, simple, and delivers surprisingly delicious results.
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