These crispy corn delights, are a cross between an Indian style vegetable fritter, Pakoras and the Indonesian corn fritter called Bakwan/Perkedel Jagung.
You might be more familiar with Pakoras. Fried bite size vegetables that are primarily coated with chickpea flour and spices.
Bakwan/Perkedal Jagung are equally delicious but perhaps less familiar. The Indonesian corn fritters are made from a batter of essentially wheat flour, leavenings and eggs.
I like using a mix of chickpea and rice flour for my corn fritters as it makes a super crispy batter. Indonesian corn fritters are wonderful to eat but it is gluten based with egg(s) added in and if you do not handle the batter well, it can be gummy tasting and never as crispy.
Use fresh corn and the sweetest ones you can find as it makes a big difference in taste. I like using those cream coloured corn, sometimes labelled as 'candy corn', 'bicoloured sweet corn', 'white corn', 'sweet corn', 'sugary corn'.
There is an easy technique required to fry these up crispy. Read the details under 'Method'.
I don't usually serve these with a dip as they are so good on its own, you do not need anything else. Well, perhaps a glass of wine or some beer.
Use fresh corn and the sweetest ones you can find as it makes a big difference in taste. I like using those cream coloured corn, sometimes labelled as 'candy corn', 'bicoloured sweet corn', 'white corn', 'sweet corn', 'sugary corn'.
There is an easy technique required to fry these up crispy. Read the details under 'Method'.
I don't usually serve these with a dip as they are so good on its own, you do not need anything else. Well, perhaps a glass of wine or some beer.
CRISPY GLUTEN & EGG FREE CORN FRITTERS
Prep:
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10 minutes
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Cook:
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10 minutes
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Inactive:
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-
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Level:
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Easy
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Serves:
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4 as an appetiser or tea time snack
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Oil Temperature:
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300F (150C)
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Can recipe be doubled?
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Yes
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Make ahead?
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No
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Just the ingredients
1 cup chickpea flour
2 Tablespoons rice flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
1/8 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
pinch of asafoetida (optional)
3/4 plus 1/4 cup water
1 and 1/2 cup freshly shucked sweet corn
1/4 cup coriander leaves cut small
1/4 cup onions diced small
Enough oil to reach at least a depth of 1 and 1/2" in your frying vessel
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1 cup chickpea flour
Available in some supermarkets. Might be labelled as 'Channa Flour', 'Gram Flour', 'Garbanzo Bean Flour', 'Besan'. Easily available in Indian grocery stores and some Asian grocery stores.
2 Tablespoons rice flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
1/8 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
pinch of asafoetida (optional)
Scroll down to 'Tips' to read more about what this is.
3/4 plus 1/4 cup water
1 and 1/2 cup freshly shucked sweet corn
Sometimes labelled as 'candy corn', 'bicoloured sweet corn', 'white corn', 'sweet corn', 'sugary corn'.
1/4 cup coriander leaves cut small
1/4 cup onions diced small
Enough oil to reach at least a depth of 1 and 1/2" in your frying vessel.
Method
I have been very conservative with the amount of spices and the recipe as it is, is very mildly spiced, more like an underlying touch of spices.
Add up to an additional 1/4 teaspoon of each spice if you want more taste of the spices.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk to mix, all the dried ingredients.Whisk 3/4 cup of water gradually into the dry mix to avoid lumps.
Do not add the additional 1/4 cup of water at this point. With a wide faced spoon, mix in the corn, onions and parsley.
If you are not frying the batter within 10 minutes, hold off adding the baking powder. Add it when you are ready to fry.
Heat up the oil to 300F (150C) in a wide bottom frying pan. You should see some tiny bubbles in the oil at this temperature.
To get crispy corn fritters, think of not dropping spoonfuls of batter into hot oil.
To get crispy corn fritters, think of not dropping spoonfuls of batter into hot oil.
These take some time to fry compared to wheat based batters. Chickpeas need to fry slow to cook through and crisp up. About 3 minutes on first side and 2 minutes on the other.
They should be a darker shade of golden brown. Refer to the top photograph.
Drain to get rid of excess oil and serve promptly.
Should you want to serve them with a dip, scroll down to 'Tips' for some suggestions.
They should be a darker shade of golden brown. Refer to the top photograph.
Drain to get rid of excess oil and serve promptly.
Should you want to serve them with a dip, scroll down to 'Tips' for some suggestions.
Tips
Asafoetida
Asafoetida is the resin derived from the herbaceous ferula family.
You can buy this greyish brownish coloured powdered spice at your Indian grocer. I use this for its anti-flatulence properties. It is an ingredient used as far as I am aware, primarily in Indian cooking. Its use has not transcended borders as much as other spices associated with Indian cooking. Perhaps because it smells dangerously sulphuric. The smell might just shock you enough to send you reeling back a few steps. I keep the plastic container where it comes stored in when I buy it, in a plastic bag and then in a glass jar. That is how pungent it smells.
Add too much of it in your food and it overwhelms the dish. I am very conservative with the amount I add. I cannot accurately tell you the flavour it imparts as it is a totally different spice. All I know is if I add it to my lentil/bean dishes, my tummy feels a whole lot better. If I really have to describe the taste it imparts, I would say it is a mix of onion, fennel and garlic. Omit if you cannot bring yourself to buy or use it. I do use it in my recipe for Coconut Chutney and Gluten & Egg Free Savoury Snack, Vadai (both pictured below).
Dip suggestions
These 3 dips go well just about any kind of vegetable chips (except potato) and with the Gluten & Egg Free Savoury Snack, Vadai (those spiral looking treats below). They also pair well with my corn fritters.
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