Who doesn’t like corn? Although we find very good corn around the year here, I miss fresh babycorn. I haven’t seen it yet here in Kansas (not a fan of canned one). So when I found it in Bangalore during my last India trip, I had to try it. I made couple of dishes with it and loved to eat every last bit of babycorn.
Here is a simple pulav I made with babycorn. I used one of my favorite spices – Dagad phool. Please note, it is not same as star anise. This looks like dried flowers or lichens that are often seen on trees. It has a very strong smell.  Aayi uses this in her chicken curry, so for me, this spice has typical chicken curry smell 
 .
Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice
1 cup chopped babycorn
1 cup vegetables like carrot, cauliflower, capsicum(bellpepper)
1 tea spn chopped ginger
1 tea spn chopped garlic
3 green chillies
1 tea spn coriander seeds
1 tea spn dagad phool
1 tea spn cumin seeds
1 tbl spn fresh/frozen coconut
2-3 cloves
2″ cinnamon
1/2 cup onion
Ghee/oil
Salt
Method:
Heat a little oil and fry coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, 1/4 cup onion, dagad phool, ginger, garlic, chopped green chillies and fry for few minutes. Grind  this with coconut to a paste.
 
Heat ghee and fry remaining onion. Now add the paste and fry till a nice aroma comes out.
Add all the vegetables and saute for few minutes.
 
Now add rice and fry it well.
Pour in 4 cups of water, salt. Cover the lid and let it cook on a medium-low heat till done.
Serve hot.
Serves : 4-5
Preparation time : 40 mins
Do you have a chicken curry recipe with the dagad phool. I have some of this spice.. but do not know how to use it.
Here is a chicken curry recipe which used dagad phool.
Thank you Shilpa.
Tastes Wonderful. Thank you so much