❤️About This Corn Pakoda Recipe
This is a Lonavala street-style (Maharashtra, India) corn pakoda recipe (also spell as pakora). It is also known as corn bhajiya. Street vendors serve this with a sprinkle of dry garlic chutney and fried green chili. Taste & Texture: Super crispy, medium spicy (adjustable) with a hint of sweetness from sweet corn. Quick to make: In total of 20 minutes, a plateful of corn bhajiya will be ready to enjoy. 5 minutes to cut the corn from the cob, 5 minutes to make the batter, and 10 minutes to fry pakoras. Simple ingredients: This calls for basic pakoda ingredients such as besan and spices only. No rice flour, no fancy stuff, yet it tastes super yummy that you can’t stop eating.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Sweet corn cobs: I have used fresh American sweet corn. This recipe doesn’t work with frozen corn as you’ll see below how we cut the corn so they don’t pop while frying. So in short, you’ll need fresh corn cobs. Besan: Just like any other pakoda, you’ll need besan to make the batter. Green chili: It adds a spicy taste to corn pakoda. Adjust the amount as per your liking spice level. Hing: It helps in easy digestion, as besan tends to be heavy on the stomach, plus we are making fried food that is heavy as well. Spices: Red chili powder and turmeric powder are required.
👩🍳 How To Cut Corn For Corn Pakoda?
- Take a corn cob and hold it vertically on a plate. Now run a sharp knife (from top to bottom) by cutting half the layers of corn kernels (meaning only the top half apart of the kernels are chopped).
- Then again run a knife to cut the remaining half (bottom half part) of corn kernels.
- Cutting them this way makes sure that all the kernels are chopped (and not whole). NOTE: Whole corn kernels may pop in the hot oil while frying and there are chances of getting burned from the oil splash. Now someone would say then why not crush the corn roughly in a food processor? NO, that doesn’t work. Crushed corn will have juices come out and it soaks up more besan to make a thick batter and you’ll have more floury proportion than corn in your pakoda. So always cut the corn as shown above. This is a very important step.
👩🍳 How To Make Corn Pakoda?
Make Batter: Before your start making a batter, heat the oil in a kadai or pan on medium heat for frying. 1, 2) Take chopped corn in a wide bowl. Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and green chili. 3) Mix everything well using a spoon. 4) Sprinkle half of the besan on the corn mixture. 5) Mix it using your fingers until well coated. 6) Add the remaining half besan. 7) Sprinkle water all over it (Note: sprinkle the water. Don’t dump it all in one place). 8) Again mix with your fingers until a thick batter (not runny at all) comes together. Fry Pakoda: No need to rest the batter. Fry right away. Check the oil if it’s ready for frying. Drop a tiny amount of batter in the oil, it should come on top within a few seconds meaning the oil is ready for frying. If it stays at the bottom for a long time then the oil is not hot enough. If it comes on top too quickly then the oil is too hot.
- Take around 2 tablespoons size of portion on your fingers and drop it into the hot oil by pushing the mixture using your thumb. Alternatively, you can use two spoons. Take a spoonful of batter and use another spoon to push it and drop it into the oil
- Repeat the same until your pan is full, do not overcrowd it.
- Flip them or move them around for even browning.
- Once they are crispy and golden brown from all sides remove them using a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil.
- Keep them in a strainer (with a plate under it) instead of a paper towel lined plate.
💭Expert Tips
Make sure there are no whole kernels in the batter. Whole corn kernels will pop in the oil as they have so much moisture in them. As they pop, oil droplets will also splash and it can burn you. So be careful and chop the corn as mentioned in the recipe. Remove fried corn pakora on a strainer or a cooling rack (not in a paper towel lined plate). By doing so, air will circulate from everywhere and it prevents them from getting soft.
🥣 Storage Instructions
Corn pakoda tastes best when served fresh right away (hot or warm). However, you can store the leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheat them in air fryer as needed. You’ll get the same crispy texture back. To reheat then in air fryer, arrange them in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook at 370°F (190°C) for 2-3 minutes, or until crispy.
🍽 Serving Ideas
Serve corn pakora with a dipping sauce such as ketchup, green chutney, mint chutney, or tamarind date chutney, etc. It can be enjoyed as such with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Serve Lonavala-style: Sprinkle dry garlic chutney (vada pav chutney) on top with fried green chili on the side. It can be served as a side with your meal (thali) consisting of dal-rice, rasam-rice, roti-sabzi, etc.
Did you try this corn pakoda recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
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