This Indian Street Corn and Spicy Spritz Is the Ultimate Summer Cookout Pairing

It is officially cookout season and we are all long overdue for some outdoor celebrating. Will the simple pleasure of standing around a grill with friends ever be taken for granted again? I think not.

While you can always adorn your backyard spread with the usual staples of chips and salsa with potato salad, serving something a little more seasonal (and unexpected) is a surefire way to impress your guests. That’s where the latest Cook With Us video comes in. In the video, Chef Palak Patel shows how to make charred Indian street corn that’s bursting with the fresh flavors of cilantro and serrano pepper. Oh, and she stirs up a so-refreshing summer cocktail to go along with it, too.

The key to making this Indian street corn really vibrant is the dressing that’s mixed in with the corn after it’s charred. Here’s what you need to make it: fresh lime juice, olive oil, salt, and a couple key spices, including cumin and smoked chili powder. “Cumin is a really great Indian spice and works really well with corn,” Patel says. (It’s also full of anti-inflammatory benefits.) The smoked chili powder folds in another layer of heat that the acidity in the lime juice perfectly balances out.

When it comes to charring the corn, Patel says you can do it right on the stove or the grill—both work great. Watch the video above to see how to make both the dressing and the corn, step by step, and how to combine them to make the perfect peak-summer cookout side.

But that’s not all Patel is showing how to make. She also shares a simple recipe for a spicy spritz made with just vodka (she uses Smirnoff cucumber and lime vodka), fresh lime juice, serrano peppers, and a splash of seltzer water. The crisp cocktail comes together in less than a minute—and less time standing over the bar means more time to socialize. “It’s spicy and very cooling,” Patel says. Plus, it pairs perfectly with the Indian street corn.

Watch the video above to see how to make both and scroll down for the recipes.

Cucumber lime spritz

Ingredients1.5 oz. Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions Cucumber & Lime Vodka1.5 oz. fresh lime juice2 serrano peppers, sliced1 1/5 cup seltzer water

1. Add the serrano peppers to a cocktail shaker. Muddle the peppers in the shaker.

2. Add the lime juice, vodka, and seltzer water. Stir it all up.

3. Pour it into a glass and add a couple serrano peppers on top to garnish.

Indian street corn

Ingredients
4 cobs of corn, shucked1 red onion, sliced and placed in cold water1/4 cup fresh cilantro3 limes, juiced1 tsp smoked chili powder2 tsp cuminSalt, to tastePepper, to taste1/4 cup olive oil

1. First, make the dressing: Add the lime juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, and smoked chili powder to a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients together. Add fresh pepper.

2. Next, char the corn directly on the stove or on the grill. Char the corn until it’s nicely speckled.

3. Use a small knife to take the kernels off the corn, collecting them in a medium-sized bowl. Once the corn is off the cobb, add the dressing. Add fresh cilantro and thinly sliced red onions. Stir the ingredients together. Add a little salt. Now it’s ready to serve!

Get more summer recipe ideas in Well+Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group.