Curry-Infused Carrot and Corn Bake with a Crunchy Bread Topping
Curry-Infused Carrot and Corn Bake with a Crunchy Bread Topping
This delightful and vibrant Carrot and Corn Salad features a blend of sweet carrots and whole corn, enveloped in a curry-infused roux, providing a unique, tantalising taste. The roux, made with sautéed onions, flour, and a combination of spices, gives the salad a wonderful thickness and depth of flavour.
The recipe cleverly incorporates the liquid from the canned corn into a milk mixture, ensuring that none of the corn’s natural sweetness is lost. In the final baking process, the salad is topped with butter-toasted bread cubes, adding a satisfying crunch that contrasts beautifully with the creamy base.
This dish is not only a visual feast with its colourful ingredients but also a pleasure to the taste buds with its mix of textures and flavours. It is perfect as a standalone vegetarian meal or as a hearty side dish to complement any meat or fish course.
Preparation is relatively straightforward, requiring basic cooking skills such as sautéing, mixing, and baking. It takes approximately 1 hour from start to finish, including a baking time of 30-45 minutes. This recipe yields a hearty portion, suitable for a family meal.
Experience the unique fusion of flavours with this Carrot and Corn Salad – it’s a welcome change from the usual green salad and is sure to be a hit at your next meal!
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
2 onions, diced
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
One 425gm can of whole corn, drained (reserve the liquid)
1 cup carrots, diced and cooked
1 cup milk (use the reserved corn liquid to make up to 1 cup)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup stale bread, cubed
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 180C (approximately 350F).
2. Heat 6 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the diced onions and sauté them until they are soft.
3. Add the flour, curry powder, salt, and sugar to the pan. Fry these ingredients together with the onions for 1-2 minutes.
4. Slowly pour the milk (made up from the reserved corn liquid) into the pan, stirring continuously to avoid the formation of lumps.
5. Mix the diced, cooked carrots and the drained corn into the sauce in the pan.
6. Pour the mixture from the pan into a baking dish.
7. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a pan. Toss the cubed stale bread in the melted butter and cook them until they become crunchy.
8. Sprinkle the buttered bread cubes over the mixture in the baking dish.
9. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake it for 30-45 minutes. The dish should be hot and cooked through when done.
10. Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your Carrot and Corn Salad!
