Indonesian Spiced Corn Fritters (Perkedel Jagung)

I’m a sucker for all things fried, and these sweet-savoury spiced corn fritters from Lara Lee’s Indonesian cookbook, Coconut & Sambal, really appeal. Fry them fresh and hot to eat straight away, or prepare in advance and reheat in the oven. Either way, these crispy treats will hit surely hit the spot!

Indonesian Spiced Corn Fritters

Find out more about the cookbook in my recent review of Coconut & Sambal: Recipes from My Indonesian Kitchen., and check out the recipe for Tomato Sambal here.

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5 from 1 vote

Indonesian Spiced Corn Fritters (Perkedel Jagung)

My aunty Tje Ie in Kupang, Timor, loves to make these when she has visitors – a tradition I’ve carried over to my home in London. Juicy, chunky kernels of corn come together with fragrant spices and aromatics to form these delicious fritters. They keep for up to 2 days in the fridge and, if prepared in advance, are best reheated in the oven for 10 minutes at 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3.
If using canned or frozen corn, squeeze out as much moisture as possible – the easiest way is in between layers of paper towels.
Chilli heat: Mild
Servings 15 large fritters
Author Lara Lee

Ingredients

  • 4 corn-on-the-cob or 350g canned or frozen sweetcorn kernels
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for deep-frying
  • 6 cm piece of ginger (about 30 g), peeled and thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
  • 2 small banana shallots or 4 Thai shallots peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 large spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 5 kaffir lime leaves (optional), stems removed, very thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3 pinches of sea salt
  • Large pinch of black pepper
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 6 tbsp cornflour

To serve

  • 1 quantity of Tomato sambal
  • Fresh tomato and basil dabu-dabu recipe in the book or sriracha chilli sauce, to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • If using fresh corn, remove the outer husk and threads, then carefully slice down the outside of the cob with a knife, as close to the core as possible, to remove the kernels. Set them aside. 
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chillies and shallots and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes. Blend to a medium-fine paste in a small food processor with the spring onions and kaffir lime leaves, if using. Mix the spice paste with the corn kernels in a bowl and add the coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and eggs. Stir well to combine, then add the cornflour. 
  • Fill a deep saucepan one-third full with oil. Heat the oil to 180°C. (If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, check the oil is at temperature by adding a cube of bread; it should turn golden in 15 seconds.) Carefully drop a dessertspoonful of the batter into the hot oil – it should settle into a roughly circular shape. Repeat to make 6–8 fritters, without overcrowding the pan. Fry until golden

Variation: Pan-fried corn fritters

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until the oil shimmers. Add spoonfuls of the corn mixture to the oil, flattening them lightly. Turn over after 2–3 minutes – they should be golden all over. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and cook in the oven for 5–10 minutes – test one to ensure it is cooked through. Drain any excess oil on paper towels and serve.

Two more fantastic recipes from Coconut & Sambal

 

If you decide to buy this book after reading our content, please consider clicking through our affiliate link, located within the post and in the footnote at the end.

Kavey Eats received a review copy of Coconut & Sambal: Recipes from My Indonesian Kitchen by Lara Lee from publishers Bloomsbury. Book photography by Louise Hagger, other images by Kavita Favelle. 

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3 Comments to "Indonesian Spiced Corn Fritters (Perkedel Jagung)"

  1. Jane Willis

    I made these from a very similar recipe in Fire Islands last week, they looked just the same and I served them with a tomato sambal as you did. Pleased to say mine looked just like the photo (only without the gorgeous props!) and were utterly delicious. I can’t report on how they reheated as we scoffed the lot

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