Thai Corn Fritters with Tomato-Pepper Relish

About This Recipe

These fritters are a home version of tod man khao pod, the sweet corn fritters sold at Thai street stalls, bound with a light batter and red curry paste rather than the fish-cake mixture used for tod man pla. Kaffir lime leaf, sliced thin, is what gives them their unmistakable citrus-floral lift, and it's worth seeking out fresh or frozen leaves rather than skipping it. The batter needs to be thick enough to hold the corn kernels together but loose enough that the fritters spread slightly and crisp at the edges when they hit hot oil — too much flour and they turn doughy in the middle. Frying in batches keeps the oil temperature steady, which is the difference between a fritter that's crisp outside and tender inside versus one that's greasy. A tomato and pepper relish isn't the classic accompaniment — that's usually a cucumber relish — but the sweetness and acidity of roasted tomato and bell pepper play the same balancing role against the rich, spiced fritters.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cupcorn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 2 tbspred curry paste
• 1 wholeegg
• 3 tbsprice flour
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tspsugar
• 3 leafkaffir lime leaves, very thinly sliced
• 3 tbspgreen beans, thinly sliced
• 500 mlvegetable oil, for frying
• 2 wholetomatoes, halved
• 1 wholered bell pepper, halved and seeded
• 1 tbsprice vinegar
• 1 tspsugar, for relish

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the relish vegetables

   Broil tomato and bell pepper halves skin-side up for 8-10 minutes until charred and softened. Cool, peel, and dice, then stir with rice vinegar and sugar.

2. 2

   Make the fritter batter

   In a bowl, whisk egg, curry paste, fish sauce, and sugar. Fold in corn, green beans, kaffir lime leaf, rice flour, and flour until just combined.

3. 3

   Heat the oil

   Heat oil in a wok or deep skillet to 175C (350F). Test with a small drop of batter — it should sizzle and rise within seconds.

4. 4

   Fry in batches

   Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the oil, flattening slightly. Fry 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Don't crowd the pan.

5. 5

   Drain and serve

   Drain fritters on paper towels and serve hot with the tomato-pepper relish.

Variations

• •

  Add finely chopped shrimp for a heartier version closer to tod man goong.

• •

  Swap the tomato-pepper relish for the classic cucumber and roasted peanut relish.

• •

  Use canned creamed corn for extra binding if your fresh corn is very starchy.

Storage

Store fried fritters in the fridge up to 2 days; reheat in a 200C oven for 8 minutes to re-crisp rather than microwaving.

Frequently Asked Questions