For guilt-free snacking, instead of deep frying, I have flattened them to discs and shallow fried them in minimal oil. Little cornstarch in the batter ensures they are crispy. Another good news is you don’t have to wait for summer to make these, you can enjoy some crispy hot fritter by using frozen or canned corn as well. Along with being crispy, what stands out is a melty pocket of cheese in the middle that oozes out when you bite into the fritters. Well, when you have a 10-year-old at home, you gotta be innovative and make little theatrics with food.
Corn – You can use fresh or frozen corn. It depends on what you have available and the choice hardly matters except the cooking time. If frozen corn is what you decide, then let it thaw and come to room temperature. Eggs- Egg acts as a binder and also keeps the fritters moist. All-purpose flour – Flour is used as a binder along with eggs. Cornstarch –Cornstarch contributes to the crispiness of the fritters Baking soda– Baking powder is your everyday arsenal for anything frying or baking. Baking soda helps make the fritters light, airy, and also a golden crust. Paprika – I have used mild paprika Jalapeno- For heat and flavor. But it’s optional. You could also deseed the jalapenos before adding to control the heat. Cheese – This is the WOW factor in the fritters. We have all had boring one-dimensional fritters earlier. The cheesiness of these fritters is what sets them apart. Sharp cheddar or mozzarella works the best.
Fresh, canned, or frozen corn – If you are using canned or frozen corn, pat the corn with a paper napkin to absorb as much of the extra water as possible. We do not want to dilute the batter with water from the corn. Work the dough – Mix flour, water, baking powder, and your veggies. Add cheese to your patties – I will show an easy way to do that in the video. Shallow fry them in the pan – Cook either side for a few minutes until you see a brown crust appearing on the surface.
Add two tablespoons of Corn Starch This is the secret ingredient for super crispy corn fritters. Add this to the dough mixture and when you are frying them, it will add a golden crispy coating to the fritters. Avoid runny dough Keep the ratio of flour to water right and the fritters will be fine. A runny dough will have a lot of moisture and an outer crust that we desire will not be possible. Serve it HOT! Fritters should be eaten Hot. If you would like your fritters in their best form, eat them right away. Fritters tend to get soggy with time and nothing much that you can do about it.
Serve these with some fresh tomato salsa or sour cream. You may add them to a plate for lunch along with a salad. Pack fritters in a tight container or zip-locked bag and stored them in the freezer. You can freeze these for up to 3 months. While serving fritters, which has been frozen for some time, follow the below steps:
Take the frozen fritters and let them thaw to room temperature. This takes about an hour. Do not microwave, as it will give you hot but soggy fritters. The best way is to heat some oil in a pan and fry them for about 3 minutes on either side to get a crispy crust. It will taste as good as the fresh ones.
