Corn Pakoda are Indian style Corn fritters made with sweet corn kernels, gram flour, spices, onions and herbs. These are addictively delicious & you won’t stop eating a few. Onion Pakora is the king of pakoras & is the most made in Indian homes, restaurants & on the streets. These Corn Pakoda are lesser known but these taste equally delicious & turn out crunchy.
These South Indian Corn Pakoras can be served on their own with a cup of Masala Chai or Coffee. Coriander Chutney, Mint Chutney, Coconut Chutney and Garlic Chutney make great accompaniments too.
Serve them as a party snack, tea-time snack or as a side with a South Indian meal consisting of Rasam-rice or Sambar-rice. They also go well with Lemon rice, Bisi Bele Bath, Vangi Bath or any flavored rice varieties.
These are best served hot but can be fried ahead and reheated in an air fryer or an oven.
This recipe uses gram flour & rice flour like any other pakora recipe. While the gram flour imparts a nutty aroma, rice flour helps to make the corn pakoda crisp.
Onions add sweet tones and you know how fried onions taste and smell. So good right! So you won’t miss your onion pakora, because these corn pakodas have some amount of onions too.
Curry leaves, coriander leaves or mint leaves are used for an herby flavor. Ginger and garlic impart a unique pungent and spicy flavor. Green chilies are used for heat. If you are making these for kids, simply skip the chilies.
How to make Indian Corn Pakoda (Stepwise Photos)
1. If using corn on the cob, boil them until tender. Using a knife scrape them off from the cob. I use frozen corn, So I rinse them and drain well. You will need 1½ cups kernels.
2. Add them to a blender jar and pulse coarsely. 2 to 3 times is good enough. Do not over do this. Make sure all the corn are crushed else they may burst while frying.
3. Next add the mixture to a bowl along with 1 small sliced onion (½ to ¾ cup), 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or chopped), 1 to 2 green chilies chopped, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 to 2 sprigs chopped curry leaves or mint leaves or coriander leaves.
4. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons besan, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon garam masala. You can use this garam masala powder.
5. Add 2 to 3 rice flour (or corn starch), ⅛ teaspoon turmeric and ½ teaspoon red chili powder.
6. Mix well. The mixture must be like a dough and not batter. If it is soggy, then you can add more besan and rice flour in equal amounts.
7. Heat oil in a kadai. When it is hot enough, test by dropping a small portion. It should sizzle and rise up without turning brown. This is the right temperature. Take a handful of this and drop small portions (about 1 to 1½ tbsp) to the hot oil. Do not disturb for a few minutes. Fry until golden on a medium heat, stirring often. Lastly remove them to a cooling rack or to a steel colander.
Serve sweet Corn Pakoda hot with tea or chutney.
