Creamy Corn Dip – utterly delicious and so easy to make on short notice, perfect when you’re in a hurry. Serve it up with chips, crackers, fresh bread….. your call.
Pretty much no cutting/chopping prep work and no cooking either! Just round up your ingredients, mix them together and serve. Really, that’s it… no kidding!
Sour cream and yogurt, for starters…
The combination of sour cream and yogurt makes the perfect base for the dip – creamy and tangy, without being overly fat-rich. The yogurt, besides supporting your gut health as a pro-biotic, also makes the dip protein-rich.
For a mild and delightful herb flavor, I add chives and dill weed. If I’m in a hurry, I simply add the dried herbs. If I do happen to have fresh dill ( Shepu – Shay-pu, Marathi; Suva – Sue-vaa, Hindi) and/or chives on hand, though, I trim and wash a small bunch and snip it with scissors to release the flavor. The fresh herbs are decidedly more flavorful than the dried versions.
Then, a bit of salt, pepper, lime/lemon juice, some vinegary “pickle juice” from pickled Jalapeno peppers, along with some Chia seeds and freshly minced garlic, and I’m ready to add some grated Parmesan Cheese. Just stir it in, and the creamy base for the corn dip is ready.
All that remains is to stir in the corn. What kind? Well, I add whatever kind I have on hand, and most frequently, that happens to be the frozen variety. Of course, canned or fresh (blanched) corn works very well too… really doesn’t matter, it’s all good!
Chia Seeds… or Basil seeds
By the way, if you don’t have Chia seeds, you can simply omit them, or use sweet basil seeds instead. Sweet Basil seeds, also called Sabja (Sub-jaa) or Tukmaria (Tuck-muh-ria) in India, are used in the popular Indian dessert Falooda. These seeds, a bit smaller than Chia seeds, also absorb liquid very quickly and swell just like Chia seeds, giving a similar gel-like texture to the dip.
Ayurveda documents the numerous health benefits of this tiny seed. Rich in fiber, antioxidants and various minerals, particularly iron, it supports the immune system and contributes to general well-being.
Want some crunch in there?
I also like to give the dip a little crunch, so if I have some Jicama, I chop it up and stir in. No Jicama? Well, perhaps you have some water chestnuts (canned is fine) (Singhara/Singoda in Hindi/Marathi, PaniPhal in Bengali), or baby radishes or turnips? That will work too – just chop up and stir in. Just a note, radishes and turnips do have a fairly strong flavor, so if you decide to add these, I suggest using sparingly (check Recipe Notes for details).
Or…. if I don’t feel like chopping anything, I just stir in some sunflower seeds instead. Easy-peasy!
After impatiently waiting for the flavors blend for a few minutes, I’m SO ready to attack it with gusto! I love pairing it with light and crunchy Parmesan-pepper croutons – check out my easy recipe for making these from sliced bolillo rolls or baguettes. Of course, you could simply pile the scrumptious dip right on top of the fresh baguette slices too!
Special Diets
This creamy corn dip is vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. To make it vegan, replace the sour cream and yogurt with your favorite non-dairy substitutes.
So, make this delicious dip when you are craving for a quick snack and don’t really want to fuss over a complicated recipe. I have been making this for years, and whenever I’ve served it at potlucks and parties, everyone always loves it. You can easily double or even triple the recipe if you’re planning to feed a large crowd, especially if there are hungry teens in the mix!
I’m planning to make a double batch in a couple of weeks, for Thanksgiving, accompanied by my pillow-soft, fresh Pumpkin Rye bread. Maybe you could do that too! I bet it will all vanish in no time at all!
Do leave a review and star rating – much appreciated.
Enjoy!
Creamy Corn Dip – To Make in a Jiffy
Equipment
- standard kitchen equipment.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Corn kernels – white or yellow frozen (thawed), canned or fresh (blanched)
- 1/2 cup Yogurt – plain I recommend the whole milk variety, but non-fat is OK too; for vegan dip, use non-dairy yogurt of your choice
- 1/4 cup Sour cream non-dairy sour cream OK for vegan dip
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese – grated (like coarse powder) coarse powder texture; use vegan Parmesan or Nutritional yeast for vegan dip
- 2 tsp Chia seeds if not available, omit, or use Sweet Basil seeds (Sabja, Tukmaria)
- 2 tsp Dried Chives if fresh is available, use 2 tbsp, thinly sliced; if not available, use 2 tbsp of thinly sliced green onions (green tops)
- 2 tsp Dried Dill weed if fresh is available, use 2 tbsp chopped dill fronds; also called Shepu (Marathi), Suva (Hindi)
- 1 tsp Garlic – 1-2 cloves, minced/finely chopped if fresh is not available, use 1/4 tsp garlic powder; OK to omit if you prefer non-garlicky dip
- 1 tbsp Jicama – peeled, finely diced if not available, use water chestnuts, radish, turnip, etc. (see Recipe Notes for details)
- 1 tbsp Lime/lemon juice – freshly squeezed preferred if not available, bottled juice is OK
- 2 tsp Pickle "juice": pickling liquid from pickled Jalapenos adds tartness as well as a little heat; if not available, add 1 tsp vinegar, diluted with 1 tsp water
- 1/4 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference (up to 1/8 tsp more)
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper- freshly crushed preferred
- 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper adjust as per taste preference
Instructions
- Place sour cream and yogurt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Add chives, Chia seeds (or Basil seeds) and dill weed. Stir to mix.
- Add chopped garlic, crushed red pepper and Parmesan cheese. Stir to mix.
- Add freshly crushed black pepper, lime/lemon juice and pickle juice. Stir to mix.
- Slice the Jicama. Peel the skin and dice finely. See Recipe Notes for alternatives if Jicama is not available.
- Add the diced Jicama to the dip.
- Measure out the frozen corn. Place in a colander and rinse under cold water to thaw. Alternatively, microwave on Hi for about 30 seconds to thaw – do not heat longer or the corn might become chewy/sticky. If using canned corn, drain in a colander. Do not rinse.If using fresh corn kernels, blanch them for a minute or so. See Recipe Notes for details.
- Add the corn to the dip and stir.
- Taste-test and adjust salt and tartness as per taste preference. To increase tartness, add more lime/lemon juice and/or pickle juice. If it seems too thick, add a little water (1-2 tsp or a bit more) to adjust consistency. After a while, it may thicken even more as the Chia seeds absorb liquid and swell. Stir in a bit more water to thin it out. Don't add too much water: the dip should be creamy, but not runny.
- Serve with and assortment of crackers, fresh bread, pita chips, tortilla chips, etc.Enjoy!
Notes
If Jicama is not available, use one of the following:
- Chopped water chestnut
- Chopped radish: Daikon, Mulaa (Marathi), Mooli (Hindi, Punjabi), Mullangi (Tamil)
- Chopped Turnip
- Sunflower seeds
If using fresh corn kernels, blanch them first:
Do not let them over-cook or they become sticky/chewy – they should be tender-crisp after blanching. Add to the dip after cooling the blanched kernels to room temperature. In the microwave:- Place the corn kernels in a glass/ceramic microwave safe bowl.
- Sprinkle 2 tsp water.
- Cover and microwave on hi for 1 min.
- Keep covered for 1-2 min, then remove cover and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Add to the dip when cool.
- Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a small pan.
- Add the corn kernels and stir to mix.
- Cover, cook for 30 seconds and turn the heat off.
- Remove from the hot stove-top and set aside, covered, for 1-2 min.
- Drain in a colander and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Add to the dip when cool.
Storing Leftovers
Store in refrigerator in a glass/ceramic container- Consume within 2-3 days.
Looks amazing can’t wait to make this!!
Just had this AMAZING Creamy Corn Dip for Thanksgiving!! It was super delicious…..And the preparation seems simple. Thank you so much for the receipe!!
Thanks Deepti, so glad you like it!
What an awesome dip, this is and it tastes so good.
Thanks, Amod
One (by one I mean me!) can eat a whole bowl of this dip by itself.
Yep, I have to strive for portion control when I make this!
Awesome! This is looking so interesting!
Thank you. It is also super-easy to make. Hope you make it soon.