Deliciously Ella’s Sweetcorn Fritters Recipe

These fritters are the basis of our go-to brunch and I can’t begin to count the number of requests we’ve had for this recipe, so I hope you all enjoy making them at home. They’re absolutely incredible with the avocado smash and our smoky baked beans, or else simply pile them high with garlicky sautéed tomatoes for a speedier option.

SERVES 4

for the fritters
1 × 300g tin of sweetcorn, drained
110g polenta
2 tablespoons buckwheat flour
2½ tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons plain yoghurt
(we use a pure coconut yoghurt)
140ml almond milk
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
handful of coriander or chives,
chopped
salt and pepper

for the smoky baked beans
olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon tamari
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 × 400g tin of tomatoes
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 × 400g tin of borlotti or red
kidney beans, drained
1 tablespoon tomato purée
25g parsley, chopped

for the avo smash
2 large ripe avocados, peeled
and stoned
juice of 1 lime
pinch of chilli flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
handful of coriander,
roughly chopped
75g sun-dried tomatoes,
roughly chopped

If you’re serving the fritters with the smash and beans, start by making the beans. Place a pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5–10 minutes, until soft. Add the spices and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly, then add the tamari, apple cider vinegar, tomatoes, maple syrup, beans and tomato purée. Bring the whole thing to the boil then reduce the temperature and leave to simmer for 15–20 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, stir through the parsley and some salt and pepper. Keep warm over a low heat while you make the smash and fritters.

For the smash, place the avocado, lime juice, chilli, olive oil and some salt in a bowl and mash together using a fork. Stir through the coriander and sun-dried tomatoes.

To make the fritters, place two thirds of the sweetcorn in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Next place the polenta, flours, bicarb and a generous sprinkling of salt in a bowl and mix. Then add the yoghurt, blitzed sweetcorn and almond milk and give it a really good stir, until smooth. Stir through the chilli, coriander and remaining whole sweetcorn kernels.

Place a frying pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, spoon in one large tablespoon of the batter at a time and cook for 3–5 minutes, until golden and holding its shape, then flip over and cook the other side in the same way.

TIP
I always make extra beans, as they’re delicious the next day and keep really well in the fridge for about 5 days or in the freezer for when you need a speedy breakfast/supper. Make sure you allow the leftovers to cool before putting in the fridge or freezer.

Recipe extracted from Deliciously Ella The Plant-Based Cookbook, published by Yellow Kite, £25
Photography by Nassima Rothacker