Corn fritters, Indonesische maïskoekjes
Perkedel jagung are Indonesian corn cakes: crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, and just right as a snack, side dish, or part of a rijsttafel. They are often made with fresh or canned corn, spices, and a simple batter that is fried in small mounds until golden brown.
The deliciousness of perkedel jagung lies in its texture. You briefly grind part of the corn finely so that the batter binds well, while leaving the rest whole for bite. Spring onion, shallot, garlic, coriander, and red chili make the patties savory, fresh, and slightly spicy.
Eat them warm straight from the pan with sambal or chili sauce, or serve them alongside rice, vegetables, and other Indonesian dishes. And honestly: they are secretly quite tasty cold from the fridge too.
Preparation method Perkedel jagung, Indonesian corn cakes
- Put 200 grams of the corn kernels in a food processor and pulse briefly. The corn should be partially ground, but it does not need to become a smooth puree. Keep the remaining 100 grams of corn kernels whole.
- Put the finely ground corn and the whole corn kernels in a bowl.
- Finely chop the spring onions. Dice the shallot and finely chop the garlic. Finely chop the red pepper.
- Add the spring onions, shallot, garlic, red pepper, and finely chopped coriander to the corn.
- Add the egg, the flour, rice flour, and the salt.
- Mix everything well and then add 2 tablespoons of water. If the batter is still very dry, add another tablespoon of water. You want a thick batter that clings to a spoon but is still easy to scoop.
- Heat a layer of neutral oil about half a centimeter thick in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Spoon about 1 generous tablespoon of batter per cookie into the hot oil. Press the cookies slightly flatter with the back of the spoon.
- Fry the perkedel jagung for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until they are deep golden brown and crispy.
- Let the corn cakes drain briefly on paper towels and serve them warm, for example with sambal or chili sauce.
