Crispy, Creamed Corn Cakes: Vegan, GF
Crispy outside, and creamy inside, these little corncakes have proved very popular during our Covid-19 lockdown. Real comfort food, they are a welcome treat either as a snack, or as a base for a meal of sautéd veggies with smoked Mexican black beans. (Which is generally on pretty high rotation in our house!)
Using an old-fashioned ingredient, the humble can of creamed corn, the crispy bites of deliciousness can be whipped up from pantry cupboard ingredients in a matter of moments.
Most corncake recipes use ground corn and often plain wheat flour, with a raising agent. This recipe is a little different, because the hero ingredient is besan flour. Besan gives them a creamy texture, which is further enhanced by the creamed corn. The addition of polenta adds another layer of texture, contrasting crispy with creamy.
Besan flour is a terrific ingredient to keep in the pantry, because a couple of spoonfuls of it will help to bind together batters such as pancakes, fritters or even savoury waffles. Made from finely ground chickpeas, it is also high in protein. Used in Indian cooking as the base ingredient for pakoras and bhajis, it is used in this corncake recipe to both bind and add flavour.
Besan flour helps the corncakes hold together,
while the polenta adds a crispy texture.
Lightly spiced, you can use the corncakes as a base for various toppings. Sliced avocado, caramelised onions or a tomato passata are all perfect accompaniments. A family favourite are hot cooked mushrooms, slathered on top of the corn cakes. (Cook chunky slices of mushrooms with extra-virgin olive oil, pepper and a sprig of thyme in a saucepan with a tightly fitting lid, over a medium to high heat. Keeping the lid on means the mushrooms will cook in their own steam. I know this is a totally unconventional way of cooking mushrooms, but when I discovered this trick a million years ago, I’ve never looked back.)
If you don’t have creamed corn, simply use fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels in the corncakes, and then increase the quantity of soy milk to create a similar moisture content. (If you do use creamed corn though, it adds a wonderful, creamy texture.)
Any fresh bright green herbs can be used - parsley, coriander or even basil work well. If you like chilli, add freshly sliced red or green one, or a pinch of dried chilli flakes, along with the herbs.
The corncakes keep well in the fridge for a day or so - that’s in case they don’t all get gobbled up when hot from the pan!
You can use fresh parsley, or any fresh herbs you have, to create pretty flecks of green in the corncakes, and to give a delicious fresh taste.
crispy, creamed corn cakes
(vegan : egg-free : dairy-free)
DRY INGREDIENTS
1 cup besan flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
¼ cup coarse polenta (dried)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt flakes (I use River Murray flaked salt which is delicious)
WET INGREDIENTS
1 x 410 gram creamed corn*
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
approximately 1 cup soy milk
½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Place all dry ingredients together in a large jug or bowl, and mix with a wooden spoon.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and tip the remaining ingredients into the well.
Stir mixture until well mixed. You may need to add more milk, to get a soft dropping consistency.
Heat a heavy based frypan over moderate to high heat. Pour in a small slurp of olive oil, and swirl around hot pan to cover.
Using a tablespoon, drop spoonfuls of mixture into pan.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy. Flip the corncake and cook on the other side.
As each corncake is cooked, place on a plate and cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm while the rest of the corncake are cooked.
Serve with sliced avocado, fresh tomato wedges, pickled cucumbers and a green salad.
* You can sub 1 cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels + an extra ⅓ cup of soy milk instead of creamed corn.
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 12 CORN CAKES
