Bakwan Jagung (Corn Fritter) – a Crispy Treat from Indonesia

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This is one of the savory—sweet Indonesian snacks that I will never be able to resist! A crispy and crunchy deep-fried corn fritter (bakwan jagung) famous from North Sulawesi (Manado) will be everyone’s favorite!

We Indonesians love to fry everything, including fruit such as bananas or vegetables like cabbage (yes, we do fry ’em) and corn, which we will make in this recipe. Bakwan jagung, or bakwan in general, is classified under “gorengan,” a term in Indonesia for a deep-fried snack.

What is Bakwan and Bakwan Jagung?

So Bakwan is a general term in Indonesia for any deep-fried fritters. You put any vegetables/meat that you prefer into a mix of flour and seasoning then deep fry them until golden color and crispy. You can eat it by itself as a snack or you can eat it as a side dish with rice and vegetable soup. There are many types of bakwan depending on the main ingredient that you put inside:

• Bakwan sayur (vegetable fritters) are a bakwan with various vegetables as their main ingredients. Usually, the vegetables used in this type of bakwan are shredded carrots, bean sprouts, and cabbage. This is the most famous type of bakwan, and you can easily find it in street vendors in Indonesia. I love eating type of bakwan with my mother’s spicy peanut sauce
• Bakwan jagung (corn fritters), by its name, obviously has corn as the main ingredient, preferably the sweet type. This type of bakwan is not as accessible and easy to find as bakwan sayur. However, if you visit a Mandonese restaurant in Indonesia, they will have it on their menu. Their bakwan jagung is usually very crispy!!
• Bakwan udang (shrimp bakwan): This bakwan has shrimp as its main ingredient, even though it usually also contains vegetables, like in the bakwan sayur. Since shrimp is more expensive than vegetables, they often put only one shrimp per bakwan and always put it at the center top so it will be visible.

I am most familiar with three types of bakwan. There are probably many others, so if you are curious, Google more!

Indonesians Love to Deep-Fry Stuff

Gorengan is my guilty pleasure, and I grew up eating a lot of deep-fried stuff because it is so common in Indonesia. However, as I get older and live outside of the country, especially in Singapore, where most people are conscious about their health, I realize Indonesians eat lots of fried stuff.

I tried to research why we have lots of fried stuff and found something interesting!

1. Food spoils easily without refrigeration

Not everyone has access to fresh/good quality raw ingredients and frying removes moisture and removes ‘off’ flavors/aromas from the ingredients. Especially from not-so-fresh ingredients. Most cannot afford to waste food, especially pricier items like proteins. The frying makes these subpar ingredients edible, compared to other methods like steaming or boiling, which might just amplify undesired flavors/aromas instead; for example, steamed river fish might taste even more ‘muddy’ compared to deep-fried ones. Everything will be more palatable with a double combo of spices + frying.

2. A lot of ‘everyday’ Indonesian food in eateries is NOT made-to-order

There are a lot of establishments in Indonesia where the chef will cook all of their dishes at dawn and set them out at displays in the morning, and throughout the day, customers will simply buy from what is already cooked hours earlier. Fried stuff lasts very long and does not go off easily, compared to ‘wetter’ food that needs to be reheated so it does not spoil, especially dishes involving coconut milk (santan) (see my recipes using santan, such as jackfruit curry, or terik tahu tempe).

3. You can refry already fried stuff

Some Indonesian sellers usually sell pre-marinated & pre-cooked food before the eatery opens. When a customer orders a meal, the seller will fry them again, making the food (sitting there for a long time) taste fresh and new. Refrying also heats up the premade food, so it’s safer to consume since heat should kill off most germs.

4. Time efficiency

Fry is often the most time-saving method of cooking. For example, compare the time needed to make a fried egg vs. a boiled egg. Prolonged use of gas will drive up the cost of LPG, which most Indonesians use for cooking. Most Indonesians do not have microwaves, air fryers, or ovens. Frying also does not require any specialized equipment.

5. Culture

Culture. We are a nation of snackers and love crunchy/crispy textures. There’s a TON of chips/crackers/nuts variation available here compared to other cultures. The same goes for fritters (gorengan), a cornerstone of Indonesian snacks. While ‘home’ snacks might take up other forms (boiled, steamed, etc.), street food is often fried because of all the factors I mentioned above (premade, long-lasting, refryable, etc.). Example: In gorengan vendors, you can buy a variety of different fritters, which are not that convenient to make at home unless you cook for a big family.

What are the ingredients we need for Bakwan Jagung?

1. Obviously, Sweet Corn!!!!

It is super important that you get sweet corn because you want to have a combination of sweet and savory in this dish. You will get the savory from the butter and coconut milk. Since there will be no sugar added to this dish, we will rely on corn as a source of sweetness. However, if it is hard to get sweet corn, the recipe will still work, and you will still get the crunchy snack; the taste would not be as great as using sweet corn!

If you buy corn on the cob like me, you must cut the corn kernel off the cob (pictured below). You can refer to the YouTube short I posted to see how I do it. If I should describe that in words, here are the steps:

• Remove all of the corn husk and silk and wash it thoroughly.
• Hold the corn from the stem perpendicular to the chopping board, and use a regular knife to scrape the kernel one straight line down at a time.
• Once your knife reaches the bottom of the corn, move to the next line. Do this again until you have scrapped off all the kernels in the cob.

2. Spring Onion

Spring onion is optional, but adding this ingredient to bakwan will definitely elevate the flavor. It can help add a hint of onion flavor without being too overpowering. On top of that, adding this green onion to our bakwan will give it a pop of color, hence making it look more aesthetically pleasing.

3. Flour and Seasoning

Flour

For this recipe, we are using 2 combinations of flour with a ratio of 7:3 (corn starch vs all-purpose flour)

• All-purpose flour: This flour is made of wheat. It contains gluten, which gives the inner part of bakwan jagung a chewier texture.
• Corn Starch: This flour does not contain gluten and tends to be lighter. We need this flour to crisp up the outer layer of our bakwan jagung!

Seasoning

• Garlic and shallot: Shallot and garlic are staples in Indonesian recipes. You always need to have both in your kitchen. It’s pretty rare for Indonesian recipes to use one without the other. Garlic has a strong and pungent flavor and is often used in savory dishes to add flavor and depth. Shallots have a milder flavor than garlic, with a hint of sweetness
• Mushroom Stock: This will give the bakwan its “umami” flavor. I’m using the Totole brand, which is famous in Indonesia. You can substitute it with vegetable stock.
• Coriander Seeds: I am using the powder version in this recipe because I don’t have a fresh one. If you have a fresh one, you can dry roast the fresh seeds to enhance the flavor, aroma, and pungency, but you don’t have to. Coriander seeds, in general, will add a mild citrusy hint with a slight curry flavor. If you don’t have coriander in your kitchen staples, try substituting it with cumin.
• Salt

Coconut Milk

This is also an optional ingredient similar to the green onion, but it would be great if you could add them! Coconut milk adds a rich, creamy texture to the bakwan, enhancing its overall mouthfeel. This creaminess helps balance the spices and flavors of the blended herbs. Yummy :).

Step by Step to Make Bakwan Jagung

1. Blend the garlic and shallot with a little bit of water until smooth and no chunks are visible. If you use coriander seeds, please blend them together with garlic and shallot during this step.

You can use any blender that will work to blend a small amount of Ingredients. In this recipe, I am using  Braun immersion blender (with its main blade). If you don’t have an immersion blender, don’t worry; you can use a regular blender or even a mortar and pestle.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and seasonings to the bowl containing the blended herbs.

The ingredients include corn kernels, spring onions, all-purpose flour, corn starch, salt, mushroom stock, coriander powder, and coconut milk.

3. Add 50ml of water and mix gently with a spatula until it forms a batter. It should still have a thick consistency

4. Fry the bakwan!

Heat oil in the pan on medium heat. The amount of oil should be around 1-2 cm. I am using an induction stove set at 160° C. Add the bakwan jagung batter to the oil and spread it to achieve a wide surface and thin depth. You can add several batters to the pan, but try not to overcrowd it.

Wait until the bakwan jagung color becomes golden brown and flip it. It will probably take around 2-3 minutes, depending on your heat setting. Do the same for the opposite side. Keep it aside and drain it using a drying rack or paper towel.

Storing Instruction

I recommend eating it fresh after cooking because it might get soggy after a while. However, if you have an extra and want to store it, you can keep it in a food container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Please use an air fryer (160° C, 5 mins) or oven (same temperature) to reheat it to achieve the crunchy texture again.