Crispy, nutty and spicy, these corn pakoda or indian corn fritters are the perfect tea time snack! Made with corn kernels, crushed peanuts, scallions, spices and gram flour, this indian corn recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make. Perfect way to use up those sweet summer corn! Gluten free & Vegan friendly!
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.
Jump to:
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
- If using fresh corn, shave the kernels off the cob. Don't crush or process the fresh corn kernels.
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.
- Add corn to a large bowl. Add the chopped scallions, cilantro, green chillies, crushed peanuts, all the spices and salt.
- Introduce the besan (gram flour). Start mixing using your hands. Fresh corn is very juicy and as you mix, slowly it will release its juices and you will be able to bind the pakoda mixture together. Be gentle in mixing and don't squish a lot else the mixture will become sticky. I did not use water at all. Feel the pakora mixture, it should be soft but not wet. Refer to images 7 & 8 to get an idea.
- Make small 15-18 round balls (using 1- 1.5 tablespoon) of the pakora batter.
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
- Heat up oil for frying on low medium flame in a large skillet or kadai. If using thermometer, heat to 300F.
- Once the oil is hot, but not too hot, add 6-7 corn pakoda. Dont overcrowd. Avoid touching the pakodas for the first 2-3 minutes else they will start spreading. Once crisped, they will start floating on their own. Keep the flame constant low medium to make sure the pakodas don't remain raw from inside.
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.
- Turn around using a slotted spoon and fry to golden brown on all sides.
- Using a slotted spoon, pick up from hot oil and drain on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. This step helps to keep the pakodas crispy.
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.
- If you wish to shallow fry, the corn pakora batter is easily spooned on to a pan or skillet for shallow or pan frying. Let fry on one side and flip using a fish or flat spatula to cook on other side.
- Making Ahead - You can make a batch ahead of time. These keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge. They don't remain crispy but taste good. To reheat, I usually use air fryer or toaster oven.
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.
Corn Pakoda (With Fresh Corn)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen sweet corn, I shucked 2 corns
- ½ cup scallions chopped, 4 stalks
- 2 tablespoon peanuts lightly roasted, crushed, see note on how to roast
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 3 indian green chillies (hot), or use serrano, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1 cup besan gram flour
- 2.5 cup Oil for Deep frying
Instructions
MAKE THE PAKODA MIX
- If using fresh corn, shave the kernels off the cob. Dont crush or process the fresh corn kernels. 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.
- Add corn to a large bowl. Add the chopped scallions, cilantro, green chillies, crushed peanuts, all the spices and salt. Introduce the besan (gram flour).
- Start mixing using your hands. Fresh corn is very juicy and as you mix, slowly it will release its juices and you will be able to bind the pakoda mixture together. Be gentle in mixing and don't squish a lot else the mixture will become too sticky. I did not use water at all.
- Feel the pakora mixture, it should be soft but not wet. Refer to images in blog post to get an idea. Make small 15-18 round balls (using 1- 1.5 tablespoon) of the pakora batter. 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 The Pakodas
- Heat up oil for frying on low medium flame in a large skillet or kadai. If using thermometer, heat to 300F.
- Once the oil is hot, but not too hot, add 6-7 corn pakoda. Dont overcrowd. Avoid touching the pakodas for the first 2-3 minutes else they will start spreading.
- Once crisped, they will start floating on their own. Keep the flame constant low medium to make sure the pakodas don't remain raw from inside.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.
- Turn around using a slotted spoon and fry to golden brown on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, pick up from hot oil and drain on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. This step helps to keep the pakodas crispy. Serve.
Air Fry Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- Use 1-2 tablespoon of fine rice flour or semolina for added crispiness. The rice flour helps to create a lighter and crunchier texture.
- Add any kind of spices and flavorings you like to the pakora mix.
- You may skip the peanuts if you wish.
- 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.
- 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.
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