With all this late summer bounty that is calling to me from the greengrocer’s shelves: sweetcorn, cherries, blackberries, fennel, beetroot, courgettes and plums to name just a few, I refuse to believe that the summer is over. It is just the beginning of August, so it shouldn’t be but the weather, full of torrential rains, hail (yup, it hailed for a few minutes yesterday – Tina was perplexed and not amused) and big grey clouds for days on end would suggest otherwise.
As a warmth loving individual with perpetually cold extremities, I am truly in denial and I am still holding out hope for some heat this year (not counting our imminent holiday to the motherland of summer – Greece, which we are super stoked to have up our sleeve in case things get rough). It’s also a tad annoying that the weather has taken a turn for the worse as we finally got our act together and bought a small barbecue hoping to use it on warm August evenings…
While the weather isn’t conducive to firing off our new BBQ any time soon, which is a shame as it’s hard to beat grilled corn, I’ve decided to put its sweet kernels to another use. I incorporated them into a delicious batter and turned them into pancakes or fritters, the choice is yours!
The only difference is the amount of oil used. A small amount of oil on a non-stick pan will give you a stack of savoury pancakes while shallow-frying the batter, will turn it into crispy fritters instead. They both make a delicious snack, starter or a fantastic savoury breakfast that is naturally gluten-free. I like to have mine with a dollop of thick vegan coconut yoghurt and a teaspoon of sour chutney to cut through the sweetness.
- 300 g / 2 cups shaved sweetcorn kernels (approx. 2 ears of corn)
- 200 g / 7 oz silken firm tofu (I use Clearspring)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- a good pinch of chilli (optional)
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- a small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 spring onion / scallion, finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
- 110 g / 1 heaped cup chickpea flour
- 60 ml / ¼ cup unsweetened plant milk (I used almond), or water
- vegetable oil, for frying
- Place all the ingredients, except for oil, in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix until smooth and lump free.
- The batter should have a thick but spoonable consistency. Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes for the baking powder and soda to activate.
- Heat up a medium non-stick frying pan on the stove, but be careful not to get the pan too hot as the pancakes will burn before cooking in the middle.
- Heat up a little oil in the frying pan – the more oil you use, the crispier these will become. More oil will turn these into fritters, a small amount of oil will make them into pancakes.
- Place 1 tbsp of batter per pancake / fritter onto the hot oil. Flatten the pancakes / fritters with the back of a spoon and fry for about 2-3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other side.
- Serve with a dollop of sour chutney (I used shop-bought tomato and chilli chutney) and thick vegan coconut yoghurt.
I do find that extra almond milk is required for the batter, but that just may be my preference.
Thank you. Cannot wait to try the alternative fritters you have created recipes for, for us to enjoy.
What an amazing recipe. It even fries easily. Thanks-a recipe for keeps!
Tamar
I am assuming you mean masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour). I'm unsure if you mean instead of corn (if so that will not work, I don't think) or instead of chickpea flour - which might work but I haven't tried so cannot be certain. x Ania
Thanks
I haven't tried freezing these in particular, but I don't see why not. You could make half of the recipe or you could freeze half of the batter (without baking powder or soda ideally) and fry them after defrosting (only add rising agents before frying) the batter. You could also freeze the fried ones but they are tastiest when freshly fried. Hope this helps! Ania
which is a win for me!! Thank you!
You are better off using this recipe instead. Hope that helps! Ania
The corn is raw - it gets cooked in the fritter/pancake. Ania
Try regular all purpose flour, it should be fine too although the quantity may need to be a bit different as it may have a different absorbency level. Start with 1/2 cup and take it from there. Ania
I have not tried making these without tofu, but I have made these fritters without it previously and they are really nice. Hope that helps! Ania