Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Elote
194 kcal a serving, against 332 for the traditional version. That is 138 kcal off, or 42%, with 10.4g of protein. Serves 4. 25 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Whole sweetcorn cobs roasted over open coals, then rolled in melted butter and a thick layer of soured cream. The sticky cobs are heavily coated in crumbled queso fresco, dusted with dried chilli, and served with a wedge of lime.
What changed, and what each change costs
40g of butter and 100g of soured cream swapped for 120g of fat-free Greek yoghurt
The butter and soured cream cost hundreds of calories in pure fat. Fat-free Greek yoghurt replicates the tang of a traditional Mexican crema and gives the cheese something to stick to, while pushing the protein up considerably.
What it costs you. Yoghurt lacks the rich, mouth-coating viscosity of soured cream, and it definitely lacks the savoury depth of melted butter. It's much sharper and thinner on the palate.
80g of queso fresco reduced to 40g
Slashing the cheese in half cuts the fat right down. To make up for the lost flavour, I rely heavily on lime juice and a hit of raw garlic mixed into the yoghurt.
What it costs you. You get a less aggressively cheesy crust on the corn. This is the first compromise you'll notice, because there's physically less cheese hitting your tongue when you take a bite.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 332 | 194 |
| Protein | 9.9g | 10.4g |
| Fat | 21.2g | 5.4g |
| Saturated fat | 11.6g | 2.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 32.4g | 32.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3g | 5.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
This is a messy, vibrant and aggressively seasoned side dish. So: a sharp, tangy celebration of charred vegetables. A rich dairy explosion was never on the table once the fat came out. You lose that heavy, buttery comfort that makes the street cart original so popular late at night, but you gain a much cleaner finish. The garlic and sharp yoghurt cut right through the sweetness of the corn, leaving you with a fantastic balance of smoke, acid and heat.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback