I like to deep fry these corn pakoda, however you could make them in the air fryer too (instructions included). I have been making these corn pakodas for many many years. My husband is a huge fan of corn and every weekend, I bring home a ton of corn, we grill them, boil them and with the remaining few, I make these deep fried corn balls (as my little one likes to call them :)) The combination of the sweet corn with green chillies, the crunch of peanuts, the herbaceous scent of scallions in the spiced gram flour batter creates a delicious contrast of flavors. Serve them as a evening snack at tea time with green chutney or tamarind chutney,or tomato ketchup. You could serve for main meal as a side dish for mushroom pulao or nutrela pulao for added crunch. Pakoda, or pakora are deep- fried snack from the Indian subcontinent. These tea time favorite snacks are made in with numerous ways. Largely, the ingredients are coated in a spiced besan (gram flour) batter and then deep-fried to golden and crispy. Few of my favorites include paneer pakoda and baingan pakora. Once you prepare a basic gram flour batter, even off beat ingredients can be turned into pakoras. I created these shishito pepper pakoras last year and they are our favorite during shishito season!
About Corn Pakoda Recipe
I use fresh summer corn, but frozen sweet corn will work too. The method is little different for latter, please see instructions section. Peanuts adds a wonderful taste and texture to these pakora. Scallions or spring onions add a wonderful herbaceous freshness. Green chillies add heat. These corn pakoda are vegan and gluten free. I love to deep fry them but these can be made in air fryer. You could make them ahead and reheat too- they taste quite good.
Ingredients
Corn- Fresh, canned or frozen any kind will work. Raw Peanuts - For this particular recipe, I pefer roasting my own raw peanuts. Reason being, the store bought ones are fully roasted and sometimes burn during frying.
How To Roast Raw Peanuts at home Add ⅓ cup peanuts to a microwave safe dinner plate in a single layer. Microwave on high for full 2 minutes. Take out of the microwave, move around using a spoon, (they would be super hot so don’t touch). Return to microwave for another 45 seconds. Check again. You will see a few changing color to dark. Move around one more time and microwave for 30-45 seconds. Done. Let cool down completely. Raw peanuts have skin on. If you rub with your hands, the skins will come off. Blow the skins away in backyard (seriously!) 🙂 Crush coarsely using a mortar pestle and use. You could dry roast peanuts in a skillet if you wish, I just find using microwave easier.
How To Make Corn Pakoda (Indian corn Fritters)
Make The Pakoda Mix
Tip - If you are using frozen sweet corn, thaw them and pat them dry with a paper towel using. Add the sweet corn kernels to a blender jar or food processor and crush a little bit. Tip - If you feel a difficulty in binding the pakoda batter, add more besan (if mixture becomes too wet). If the pakora mixture is feeling dry, add a tiny splash of water to bring it together.
Deep Fry Corn Pakoda
Tip - Fry the pakodas in small batches to maintain the oil temperature and ensure even cooking. Overcrowding the pan can lead to uneven frying and soggy pakodas.
Air Fry Corn Pakoda
Here’s how you can air fry corn pakoras
Make flatter balls of the pakora mixture for even browning. Preheat air fryer on 395F(200C) for 3 minutes. Layer the pakoras in a single layer on the air fryer basket. Spray 2-3 times with oil. Air fry for approximately 10-12 minutes, flipping using tongs mid way. When you flip, I recommend adding another spray of oil- keeps them moist.
Recipe Tips
Use 1-2 tablespoon of fine rice flour or semolina for added crispiness. The rice flour helps to create a lighter and crunchier texture. You may skip the peanuts if you wish for a nut free version. If you want, you could add chopped ginger or garlic to add more layers of flavor to these pakoras. You can add more or less green chilies, red chili powder, or other spices to suit your liking.
Variations
Corn & Spinach Pakora - Chopped spinach works beautifully in this batter. High Protein Version - You could add crumbled paneer to the pakoda mix. Corn & Onion Pakoda- If you wish, skip the scallions and add sliced onions instead. Garlicky Flavor - Incorporate minced garlic into the batter for a delicious garlicky flavor.
