On bright, sunny Friday mornings, I like to take a morning walk around my neighbourhood. Along the way I stop to watch dogs and cats on the jogging track, and then complete the experience with one of my favourite activities – visiting the vegetable stall! More often than not, I return home with a bag loaded with fruits and vegetables, and many fun small snacks for breakfast.
This week, I’d had such a hectic time working from home, trying to keep up with all the projects on hand and keeping in touch with colleagues via endless video conferences. This “new normal” way of working and socializing seems never ending!
I’d really been looking forward to a quiet weekend when I can bury myself in good books, sip tea and relish some homemade snacks, away from my daily routines and all the unpleasant news about the coronavirus and its global impact on the economy.
I decided to celebrate the weekend by beginning my Friday with a time-honoured tradition: the morning walk! While at the vegetable stall, I came up with the idea of making bakwan jagung, or corn fritters, and enjoying a weekend escape in the comfort of my own home. I would create a nice ambience, pretending I’m on some beach in Bali, read a good book by the “ocean” and enjoy tea and fritters. Yes, that would be refreshing! I quickly filled my bag with all the ingredients needed for bakwan jagung and happily walked home, thinking aloud, “Thank God it’s Friday!”
I woke up rather early on Saturday and started preparing my bakwan jagung. The preparation and cooking times are relatively short. This time, I made the fritter special by adding shrimp in it. In less than an hour the delicious, soft, golden corn fritters with bits of sweet corn kernel and tasty shrimp pieces were ready. I could not wait to eat them with whole, fresh bird’s eye chillies – what a fritter! What a weekend!
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Bakwan Jagung Udang: Corn & Shrimp Fritters
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Snacks, Fish & Seafood
- Method: Deep Fry
- Cuisine: Indonesian
- Diet: Halal
Description
These easy-to-make corn and shrimp fritters make for an addictive snack! In Indonesia, they’re commonly sold on the streets and cooked at home. Usually, they’re made using only corn, but we’ve added shrimp to make them extra yummy.
Ingredients
- 2 corn cobs
- 4 cloves garlic
- 0.5 tsp whole white peppercorns
- 0.5 tsp chicken stock powder
- Salt to taste
- 150 gr wheat flour
- 250 gr shrimp, deveined, shelled and chopped
- 1 small stalk celery, chopped
- 1 small spring onion, chopped
- 1 egg
- 50 ml water
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Shave the corn.
- Mash half of it using a mortar and pestle. Leave the other half as is.
- Put all the corn into a big mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, peppercorns and salt into a fine paste. Set aside.
- Add the garlic-pepper paste and chicken stock powder to the corn. Mix well.
- Add the flour and water bit by bit to the bowl, mixing thoroughly as you go along.
- Add the egg, mix well.
- Add the shrimp, celery and spring onion. Mix well.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Scoop a spoonful of the mix each time, and gently drop it into the oil.
- Fry until the fritters are golden, around 3 minutes each.
Notes
- Leaving some bits of corn unmashed (as indicated in the recipe) will add interesting textures to the fritters.
- Bakwan jagung can also be served as a side dish in a complete rice meal.
- For chilli lovers, bakwan jagung is best enjoyed with whole fresh bird’s eye chillies or chilli sauce.
Keywords: Quick & easy, non-spicy, common ingredients
