Who doesn’t love a crispy fried appetizer? Although I love to eat them, I don’t tend to create recipes for fried morsels of deliciousness. These perkedel jagung though were taught to me by our host during a stay in Bali. They are simple to make and a fun to eat so I wanted to pass the recipe along to you! Enjoy these vegan Indonesian corn fritters!
Super crispy texture
Sweet taste from the corn
Simple to prepare
And made without egg
Ingredients For Vegan Indonesian Corn Fritters
These perkedel jagung are made from just a few simple ingredients. Traditionally they are held together with egg or an egg powder. In order to make these vegan friendly however, our host in Bali simply used a mixture of flour and cornstarch.
You will need:
- Sweet corn kernels (you can use frozen, canned, or freshly cut from the cob).
- Red chillies for a bit of spice
- Garlic
- Shallot
- A bit of salt
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- And some oil for frying
Method
I have seen some recipes for these perkedels that use entirely whole corn kernels. However, I was taught to use mostly mashed corn and add in a smaller amount of whole corn for some texture.
Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor of some sort:
- Mash 1 cup corn kernels with 1-2 long red chillies for some spice, a couple of garlic cloves and a bit of onion. Salt the mixture and mash it until a rough paste forms.
- Then, stir in ½ cup whole corn kernels for some texture.
- Next, bind it together by mixing in the flour and cornstarch. Stir until the corn is fully covered and holds together in a clump.
To fry the fritters:
- Heat at least 2 inches of oil over medium heat in a dutch oven if you have one. I like using a dutch oven to protect a bit more from any spraying oil. You don’t want the oil to be so hot that it smokes.
- A good way to test if the oil is hot enough is to dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil. If small bubbles form around the spoon the oil is hot enough.
- Carefully lay even scoops of the batter into the hot oil and press down lightly to make a flatter fritter.
- Fry for about 5 minutes on both sides until the fritter is golden in colour and you can be sure it is cooked fully in the centre. (If the oil is too hot, the outside of the fritter can cook too quickly and get too browned before the inside has had a chance to cook).
Recipe Cost
These vegan Indonesian corn fritters cost us approximately $2.35 Canadian. This recipe makes 6 smaller fritters but you can easily click on the 2x or 3x in the recipe card to increase the yield.
I love that I am able to make these perkedel with ingredients I tend to always have on hand. The only ingredient I may not always have is a chili pepper. I usually have Thai chillies in my freezer because I don’t cook with them enough to always have fresh chilies on hand.
If you don’t have any chilies, feel free to add a bit of spice into the mixture with a hot sauce you like or even a ground spice like a touch of cayenne pepper. You can also omit the chili altogether and still have a tasty fritter.
How To Serve Vegan Indonesian Corn Fritters
Make sure to check out the other Indonesian inspired recipes I created from our trip to Bali. Our host, Komang, taught me how to make a number of the dishes she cooked for us. Make a night out of it and serve up a Baliense inspired platter with these perkedels, tofu pepes, Balinese tempeh, and urab (coconut and vegetable salad)!
Alternatively, these would make a great appetizer for any occasion. Again, who doesn’t like a fried appetizer? Or, serve these as a side dish for rice, noodles, or Asian inspired power bowls.
Let me know in the comments below if you make these perkedel and how you enjoy them!
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Perkedel Jagung – Vegan Indonesian Corn Fritter
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 pieces 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A simple recipe for vegan Indonesian corn fritters! Serve them as a crispy appetizer or a delicious side for your Balinese inspired meal!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup corn kernels, divided
- 1–2 long red chillies, deseeded (these are milder chillies, adjust heat to your taste)*
- 2–3 garlic cloves
- 25 g shallot
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Oil for frying
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Mash one cup corn kernels with the chillies, garlic, shallot and salt using a mortar and pestle until a paste forms. (Feel free to use a food processor of some sort if you don’t have a mortar and pestle).
- Add ½ cup whole corn kernels into the mashed mixture. Then add the flour and cornstarch and stir to incorporate the flour.
- Heat 2 or more inches of oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. The oil should not be so hot it’s smoking. An easy way to test if it is hot enough is to dip the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and if small bubbles form around the wood, the oil is hot enough.
- Form equal scoops of the corn mixture into round patties and carefully transfer them to the hot oil one at a time. Don’t crowd them and only fry as many as you can at a time.
- Fry on each side for 3-5 minutes until golden. Carefully remove from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil.
- Serve with a dipping sauce of kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) mixed with sambal if desired (or use your preferred dipping sauce). Consider enjoying these as part of an Indonesian inspired platter with my tofu pepes, Balinese tempeh, and urab.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $2.35 Canadian.
Feel free to use frozen corn kernels and simply defrost them before beginning this recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: Indonesian
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