Spicy Corn Fritters

We LOVE these corn fritters and never leave leftovers. (Yes, the three of us eat all of them. Every time.) The faint Indian spices in these fritters pair really well Middle-Eastern Spiced Tilapia and Cranberry Rice with Caramelized Onions.

Spicy Corn Fritters
From Simply Recipes

Dipping Sauce:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons red chili pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 large clove garlic, minced

Fritters:
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup water
2 cups of corn kernels (about 3 cobs if using fresh corn)
4 large scallions or green onions, finely sliced (about half a cup)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Oil for frying

To make the dipping sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium high, let boil for 5 minutes or so, until the mixture becomes somewhat syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If it becomes too thick, you can add a little water to it to thin it out a bit.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, ground coriander, and ground cumin in a medium bowl. Add egg, lemon juice and water. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the corn, onions, and cilantro. Stir until just combined.

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot (shimmering not smoking), spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons worth of fritter batter into the pan to form one fritter, patting it down with the back of the spoon as soon as it is in the pan. Work in batches. Leave about 1/2 inch between the fritters in the pan. Let cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping the fritters when they are nicely browned on one side. When browned on the other side, remove the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.

Add oil as needed to keep the bottom of the pan well coated. Note that the fritters will likely splatter a bit as you are cooking. So, either use a screen splatter guard, or wear long sleeved clothes while you cook.

Makes approximately 16 fritters. Serve immediately with the sweet chili dipping sauce.

Nat's Notes:
1. The dipping sauce is really spicy. I would maybe start off with 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes and move up if you'd like it spicier.

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