Smoky Sweetcorn Pepper Fritters

Sweetcorn fritters are always a treat. But have you tried smoky sweetcorn pepper fritters? They make a really cool side to any number of dishes, but they also stand up to being the star of the show and can be served as a delicious lunch with salad. The fritters are egg and dairy free, so suitable for vegans as well as vegetarians.

I got the idea for cooking fritters inside a ring of pepper from John Whaite’s recent book, A Flash in the Pan. You can find out about the book in my recent review and recipe for apricot whisky honey cheesecake. The recipe I’ve used for the fritters, however, is inspired by Mexican ingredients and flavours.

Mexican Flavours

Mexican inspired food is one of my favourites. There’s so much vibrancy in the colours and ingredients and the flavours are bold. These smoky sweetcorn pepper fritters are made with sweetcorn, polenta, cumin and smoked chipotle chillies.

We ate our smoky sweetcorn pepper fritters for lunch with lime pickled cucumbers and avocado to accentuate those Mexican flavours. They are perfect served as part of a celebratory Mexican vegetarian or vegan feast.

These papas a la Mexicana make a particularly good accompaniment. They also go well with a nice cooling bowl of raita. Just omit the pickled cucumbers.

Smoky Sweetcorn Pepper Fritters

This recipe for smoky sweetcorn pepper fritters may look as though it’s a bit fiddly. But it really isn’t. It’s actually quite quick to make.

I’ve used corn cobs in this recipe, just because they’re in season now and I happened to have a couple of them in need of using up. You can, however, use a can of drained sweetcorn instead. In my recipe for courgette sweetcorn fritters, I blended half of the sweetcorn to make the batter. But for this recipe chunky is best.

Think corn fritters with bells on. Bell peppers to be precise. Cut the peppers into rings. You should get five from each one. Pile the sweetcorn batter into the rings and shallow fry. You get a big sweet and smoky hit from the sweetcorn but it’s tempered a little by the pepper. The peppers help to hold the fritters together and it looks kind of cool too. They only take about four minutes to cook on either side.

The corn batter is very easy to make. You just need to stir the milk into the dry ingredients and then add the garlic, onion and sweetcorn.

Pack the batter into the pepper rings and fry. Flip the fritters over and cook on the other side. Don’t worry if the fritters get a little charred, it just adds to the smoky notes. When done, the sweetcorn batter should be cooked through and the peppers soft, although still holding their shape.

Hints, Tips & Substitutions

• The number of people served really depends on what sort of meal you’re intending. You could have 2 ½ each for a lunch for four, two each as a side or starter for five or one each for ten if it’s part of a larger feast.
• If you’re not vegan or trying to cut out dairy, you could add some feta cheese to the fritters. Alternatively, crumble some over the top once they’re cooked.
• The sweetcorn is already quite sweet, so it might be nice to use green peppers rather than red or orange ones. This would create a nice colour contrast too.
• Use a can of sweetcorn or cut the corn off two boiled cobs. For an extra smoky flavour, you can grill or barbecue the corn cobs in their husks.
• Fine polenta is best for this recipe. If you can’t get hold of any, however, you can substitute flour instead. If you do this, reduce the milk to 125ml and add it gradually. You’re looking for a thick spoonable batter, so you may not need all of it. Polenta is a lot more absorbent than flour.
• If you prefer your fritters to be less chunky, you can blitz the batter in a food processor or blender. I use a power blender for this as they are just fabulous.
• Enjoy the fritters on their own with salad. Or have them as part of a magnificent Mexican feast. Serve with any or all of the following: lettuce, guacamole, pickled cucumbers, tomato salsa, lime wedges, tortillas, marinaded and fried tofu, feta cheese, sour cream or refried beans.
• When you cut the peppers into rings, there will be some leftover bits. Either fry these alongside the fritters or add them to a salad to serve alongside. Alternatively, store in the fridge in a covered container to use for something else. They will keep for a couple of days.

Other Mexican Inspired Recipes You Might Like

• Chocolate pudding with chilli & lime mango
• Chocolate refried beans
• Mexican mole muffins
• Smoky Mexican bean soup
• Vegetarian enchiladas
• Veggie bean chilli

Keep in Touch

Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these smoky sweetcorn pepper fritters, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making vegan fritters?

Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

If you’d like even more Mexican recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.

Choclette x

Smoky Sweetcorn Pepper Fritters. PIN IT.

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5 from 10 votes

Smoky Sweetcorn Pepper Fritters

Think corn fritters with bells on. Bell peppers to be precise. They make for a special but easy to prepare lunch or they can contribute to a Mexican inspired feast. The fritters are egg and dairy free, so suitable for vegans as well as vegetarians.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Lunch, Side Dish, Starter, Supper

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chillies, fritters, peppers, sweetcorn, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 5 people

Calories: 274kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Ingredients

• 30 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat)
• 50 g fine polenta
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¾ tsp chipotle chilli flakes
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 150 ml milk of your choice (I used kefir)
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 2 spring onions (scallions) or a handful of chives – sliced
• 2 corn on the cob or a 340g tin sweetcorn – drained
• 2 large sweet peppers colour of your choice
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• If using corn cobs, cook them in boiling water for ten minutes. Remove from the water and allow to cool and dry off a bit. Shuck the kernels off the cob with a knife.
  2 corn on the cob
• Whilst the cobs are cooking. Place all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour the milk into the middle. Mix well, stirring from the inside out. Add the garlic and onions. Leave for a few minutes so that the polenta can soak up the liquid.
  30 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat), 50 g fine polenta, ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp ground cumin, ¾ tsp chipotle chilli flakes, ½ tsp baking powder, 150 ml milk of your choice, 1 clove garlic, 2 spring onions (scallions)
• Cut the peppers into rings – about 1 cm thick. You should get ten. Remove any seeds.
  2 large sweet peppers
• Stir the sweetcorn into the batter.
• Heat a large non-stick frying pan to a medium heat. Add a little of the oil. Place as many of the peppers rings as can fit into the pan. Spoon a tenth of the batter into each ring, packing it in as tight as you can. Fry for four minutes. Flip the fritters over and fry for a further four minutes.
• Add more oil if necessary and repeat the process until all of the rings and batter are used up. You might not need to use all of the oil, it rather depends on how non-stick your frying pan is.
• Serve warm with any or all of the following: salad, guacamole, pickled cucumbers, tomato salsa, lime wedges, tortillas, marinaded and fried tofu, feta cheese, sour cream or refried beans.

Notes

Number of people served really depends on what sort of meal you’re having. You could have 2 ½ each for a lunch of four, two each as a side for five or one each for ten if it’s part of a larger feast.

You can substitute wholemeal flour for the polenta, but you may not need to use as much milk. Polenta is more absorbent than flour.

Either fry any leftover bits of pepper alongside the fritters or add them to a salad to serve alongside.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 47.3g | Protein: 7.9g | Fat: 8.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 5.9g | Sugar: 9.1g | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 3mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

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I’m sharing this recipe for smoky sweetcorn pepper fritters with Easy Peasy Foodie for #CookBlogShare.