Cape Gooseberry and Corn Salad

Cape Gooseberry and Corn Salad is a complete meal in itself and is so delicious that you just can’t stop at one bowl!

Imagine a pretty little berry like fruit covered in its shell which looks like a cape. As a child I used to be fascinated with them. And this cape gooseberry and corn salad is one of the awesome dishes I made out of my childhood fascination 🙂

I didn’t know they were called Cape gooseberry at that time and we used to call it Rasbhari. But playing with its dress used to be our favorite time pass ever. We would get a bunch of rashbhari’s each and then try and dress them up by playing with the covering. We even used to make whole families out of it, the biggest one would be the dad, the prettiest cape would be the mum and tiny ones the kids. Childhood days are so much fun.

I remember the winter afternoon on the terrace where these would be eaten with salt & chilli or a little chaat masala. Dad would bring full boxes of these but still it would last only a day or so.

But growing up we ate these only as raw fruits. I don’t think mum ever tried to experiment with them in the kitchen at least, not that I remember. And somewhere along the way we grew up, the free time on the terrace reduced and so did the eating of rasbharis. And then I rediscovered them, a couple of years ago, with my growing interest in food and ingredients. I started seeing everything with a new angle. On what I can do with ingredients I buy, the traditional as well as the modern recipes that I can recreate in my kitchen. My intense love for Cape gooseberry or Physalis began at this stage.

Cape gooseberry is so versatile and blends itself so well to desserts, jams, sauces, salads and so much more. I made a sauce with it to be eaten with fish last year. The child has been asking me to make it again. I also make a vinaigrette (recipe coming soon) with it which is a delight in salad dressings. I am also trying an Indian recipe with it soon and hopefully it will be good enough to be shared here.

And while I do all this, the favorite way to eat this apart from popping into mouth is in salads. So here starting my Physalis series with a simple and bowl of salad, which is also a well rounded meal, considering it also gets its carbs from the corn.

Cape Gooseberry and Corn Salad

Cape Gooseberry or Physalis is a versatile fruit which works in sweet and savory dishes. Starting a Physalis series, with a comforting salad.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Salad

Cuisine global vegetarian

Servings 2 helping

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup cape gooseberry
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 cup corn kernel
• to taste salt
• handful coriander leaves
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• to taste salt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic Dried

Instructions

 

• Clean and cut cape gooseberry into halves, if you prefer smaller pieces you can cut in quarters as well.
• Peel, de-seed and chop cucumber into small pieces.
• In a heavy bottom pan, roast the corn kernels till they brown. Keep aside for cooling
• In am empty jam bottle, mix together all dressing ingredients and shake well till mixed
• Mix all the salad ingredients and gently stir in the dressing. Serve for an appetiser or a light meal

Notes

If you make this, share a picture with me on twitter, instagram or Facebook? I would love to hear what you have to say about it !

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!