Spiced corn fritters (perkedel jagung)

My aunty Tje le in Kupang, Timor, loves to make these when she has visitors – a tradition I’ve carried over to my home. Juicy, chunky kernels of corn come together with fragrant spices and aromatics to form these delicious fritters.

Credit: Beyond Bali with Lara Lee

• makes

  15

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

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Ingredients

• 4 corn cobs
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for deep-frying
• 6 cm x 2 cm piece ginger (about 30g). peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
• 2 small eschallots (or 4 Thai eschallots), peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 large spring onions, thinly sliced
• 5 makrut lime leaves (optional), stems removed, very thinly sliced
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 pinches sea salt flakes
• A large pinch ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 6 tbsp cornflour
• Sambal, chilli sauce, to serve

Instructions

1. Use a sharp knife to remove the corn kernels from the cob, then transfer to a medium bowl.
   
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, chillies and eschallots and fry, stirring for 10 minutes. Transfer to a small food processor with the spring onions and lime leaves (if using) and blend to a paste. Transfer the paste to the bowl with the corn, then add the ground spices, salt, pepper and eggs. Mix well to combine, then fold through the cornflour to create a thick batter.
   
3. Fill a large saucepan one-third full with oil, to deep-fry, then heat to 180˚C. Carefully drop a dessertspoonful of the prepared fritter batter into the hot oil – it should settle into a roughly circular shape. Repeat to make 6-8 fritters, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden all over, about 4 minutes. Test one to ensure it is cooked through. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towels to drain of any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining batter.
   
4. Transfer the fritters to a serving plate and serve with sambal or chilli sauce on the side.

Note

• These fritters will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. If prepared in advance, they are best reheated in the oven at 170˚C (150˚C fan-forced) for 10 minutes. You can substitute the corn cobs with 350 g canned or frozen sweetcorn, just squeeze out as much moisture as possible between paper towels for best results.
• Use gluten-free cornflour to make these gluten-free.

Watch how to make this recipe on Episode 8 of Beyond Bali with Lara Lee, streaming free on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Beyond Bali With Lara Lee

series • 

travel

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series • 

travel

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