Crispy Corn Fritters

Mumbai rains, an unforgettable experience! Heavy rains for almost the entire monsoon season brings smile on the face of poor farmers. Yes, monsoon plays a very important role in Indian economy, and every year we hope mother nature blesses us with good rainfall. The sight on cooling rains is very appealing and pleasing... small frogs and tadpoles with croaking sound start to emerge in puddles of water. Plants grow greener, healthier, and taller than what they were before. This sight is surely soothing to eyes and relaxing to the mind.

Yes, monsoon also brings delicious food to enjoy. In my last post I shared a popular monsoon favorite, boiled peanuts, since they are abundantly harvested then. But one cannot forget corn that is found everywhere on the streets of Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra. Charcoal roasted corn on the cob is the favorite of every Mumbaite. and we like it seasoned with salt, pepper, and lime juice. But when corn is available in plenty, we don't just have it on the cob but relish it in so many different ways. One of the recipes is crispy corn fritters. At home we would just call it a makai na bhajiya or makai pakoras. This is nothing fancy. A very simple recipe that brought back lot of childhood memories for my dad. While I was in India last month, I had opportunity to make and enjoy corn fritters. They are so quick and easy to make. This was our popular tea time snack!

Ingredients: (serves 2-3 people)
1+1/2  cup corn kernels
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red chili powder
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 finely chopped green chili
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. rice flour
2 tbsp. chickpea flour/besan
Oil for frying

• In a food processor coarsely grind 1+1/4 cup corn kernels. 
• Mix 1/4 cup whole corn kernels.
• Mix salt and all other spices.
• Mix the flour in and sprinkle some water (if needed) to form a thick batter.
• Mix well.
• Heat oil for frying.
• Drop small portions of the batter in hot oil and fry till they are golden brown. 
• I like irregular shaped pakoras and small ones as they get nice and crisp.
• Enjoy with chutney or as is.

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

In a food processor coarsely grind 1 cup corn kernels.

Mix salt and all other spices.

Mix the flour in and sprinkle some water (if needed) to form a thick batter.

Drop small portions of the batter in hot oil and fry till they are golden brown.

Happy Rainy Day!!