The Curried sweet corn fritters | Tod man khao phad I was in a night market in southern Thailand when I first had. I bought a bag of them straight from the hot oil and enjoyed eating them as I walked around. Before I knew it the bag was empty and I was in need of more. Almost on cue, a boy from the stall I had visited arrived with a tray, shouting out his wares in a singsong voice; I purchased another bag and continued on my way. They are great made with fresh corn, when the kernels are really sweet and the texture is crunchy.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
4 ears corn on the cob
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons rice flour
2 tablespoons red or green Thai curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce such as nam pla
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 large eggs
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
4 scallions (green onions), finely chopped
handful of fresh Thai basil leaves or cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
vegetable oil for shallow-frying freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. With a knife, cut the kernels from the cobs of corn. Don’t cut away too much of the lower end of the husk, nearest the core of the cob, as these kernels will be tougher. Put the two flours, curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, eggs, and the salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Season with black pepper. Mix together and add the corn kernels, scallions, and basil or cilantro. If the batter is a little dry, add 1–2 tablespoons water, a little at a time—just enough until the batter is the right consistency.
3. Heat enough oil for shallow-frying in a large heavy pan over a medium-high heat. To test whether the oil is hot enough, drop a little of the batter into the oil—it should sizzle right away. Take a tablespoon of the batter and carefully drop it into the hot oil, using the back of a metal spoon to flatten the batter to form a rough patty or cake.
4. Repeat, cooking in batches of a few at a time, so that the temperature of the oil does not drop. Fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden and fragrant. When cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
5. Serve hot or at room temperature, with wedges of lime or a sour dipping sauce made with lime juice or rice vinegar. There will be a great balance of hot, sweet, and salty, set off and brought into balance by the sourness.
 |
| Curried sweet corn fritters recipe |
