Snacks & Street Food
Makai Poleko
पोलेको मकै
Makai poleko is a cob of field corn roasted directly on charcoal until the kernels blister and blacken in patches, then rubbed with a cut lime dipped in salt and chilli. Vendors set up braziers on pavements and hillside laybys through the monsoon and into autumn, fanning the coals with a scrap of cardboard. Nepali corn is starchy rather than sweet, so it stays chewy and smoky — the lime and timur do the rest.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 28 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
At the stove
Method
Light a bed of charcoal and let it burn down until the flames have died and the coals glow evenly under a coat of grey ash.
Strip the husks and silk from the cobs and pat them dry.
Set the cobs directly on the coals, or on a grate just above them, and roast for 12 to 18 minutes.
Turn them every couple of minutes so the kernels blister and char in patches rather than burning through on one side.
Meanwhile, mix the salt, chilli powder, roasted timur and cumin on a small plate, adding the chopped green chilli if you like it hot.
Brush the hot cobs with mustard oil or butter if you want extra richness, though the plain version is more traditional.
Cut a lime in half, press the cut face into the spice mixture and rub it firmly all over the hot corn so the juice, salt and chilli soak into the charred kernels.
Serve immediately, held by the stalk end, with extra lime and spice mix on the side.
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