Plant-based Chilean-style corn pie (pastel de choclo-inspired)
🌱🌽🥧🇨🇱 Grandma Sita learns with Claudia how to make delicious Chilean-style corn pie made from corn and mushrooms. This easy plant-based recipe is inspired by the popular Pastel de Choclo which is a classic Chilean dish. It has just the right consistency, and an amazing taste and will be loved by adults and children alike!
😋 You can change the recipe according to your taste, so have fun experimenting, but don’t forget to cook up some complementary plant-based food like salad.
🧓🏻💛 Grandma Sita’s tip: How to cut the corn? Break the base of the corn or shank, peel the husk, and remove all the silk. Using a large knife, with the corn standing firm, cut from top to bottom, you can do it in one pass almost touching the cob, or in several passes.
➡️ Pastel de Choclo is an iconic dish in Chile. A classic during the summertime. The Pastel de Choclo is usually cooked in a clay dish inside a wood-burning oven if living in the countryside. If residing in the city, a standard oven and a baking pan are enough. The flavors of the filling and corn mingle delightfully in this casserole.
🤗🌎 Grandma Sita looks forward to the weekends because that’s the time she invites a grandchild into her kitchen to cook popular dishes from their countries and together get inspired to twist them into delicious new plant-based meals. Sustainability tastes great everywhere!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE FILLING
1 big onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 tray of mushrooms, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 tablespoon oregano, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, to taste
1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder, to taste
salt & back pepper, to taste
olives and raisins (optional)
Tip: The filling can be cooked the day before.
FOR THE CORN MIXTURE
8 large ears of fresh or frozen corn
20gr. fresh basil
230ml Oat drink (any veggie drink)
Vegetable oil (the amount depends on the size of the corn)
Granulated sugar, sprinkle (optional)
METHOD
*For the filling
1. Wash all vegetables well. Chop bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, and zucchini.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a pot. Sauté chopped onion until soft and add all veggies, paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin. Mix well, and cook over medium heat until the veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.
*For the corn mixture
1. With a hand blender, blend the corn with oat drink and basil, trying not to go uniform, leaving some chunky parts. Add salt and back pepper, to taste.
2. When a mixture is done, place it in a pot with veggie oil and cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring for about 10-15 minutes longer. The consistency should be firm. Taste and adjust seasoning. It will thicken slightly when cool.
*To assemble the pie
1. Put one layer of the prepared veggie filling on a clay or baking dish.
2. Cover with the corn mixture. Sprinkle with granulated sugar for a nice browning in the oven (optional).
3. Bake at 200C in a preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until bubbling and golden on top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
4. Serve with a tomato salad or anything else you like, and Bon appetite!
DID YOU KNOW?
The Pastel de Choclo is made with Humeros corn. This variety of corn is widespread in Chile but very difficult to find in other countries. Humero corn has irregular kernels. If the rows of the grain are neat, it is not the correct one. The husk is hard. When you prick the corn, whitish milk comes out. Use fresh, don’t store it for more than ten days. The corn dries out and loses its consistency.