Corn Fritters {gluten-free + dairy-free}

Often on a Monday, the toddler and I do the grocery shopping, visiting the library on the way. He charms the socks off all the elderly ladies we see, and holds the list for me while I browse. We have a bunch of local shops, including post office, fruit and vegetable shop, pharmacy, butcher and supermarket. It’s nice being able to do all one’s business in one trip and chat with the shop owners as we go. The fruit and veg shop is owned and run by an Afghani family, and we’ve been buying there ever since Theo was a baby. The produce is so much cheaper, and we like to support local small business.

The young man who serves us has always been smitten by Theo and tries to engage him in conversation. Last week, while Theo was reaching up on his tiptoes to place bags of fresh produce on the checkout, the man was smiling encouragement and then turned to me to ask, “How old is he?” I told him, “Two years old now; I remember coming here when he was a tiny baby”. “Are you his mother?” he asked. “Yes” I replied. “Oh, I thought you were his grandmother” he said. “Oh…” I was lost for words… and too busy controlling my expression so that he didn’t see how offended I was!!

We bought our zucchinis from the supermarket that day. Not as a response to our Afghani friend’s faux pas, of course, but because they were cheap. Zucchinis are a summer fruit, but these were as cheap as they ever are so I’m assuming they’d come out of cold storage. Not that it matters; I have so many favourite zucchini recipes that I’d be happy if they were in season all year round! This fritter recipe is one that I make especially for Theo; he loves any food he can pick up and eat with his hands. It’s a phenomenon I never knew of before having kids – finger food is always a winner!

Corn Fritters {gluten-free + dairy-free}

Makes about 10 large fritters

Ingredients
¼ cup brown rice flour or other gluten-free flour*
¼ cup polenta
1 tablespoon coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup corn kernels
2 cups grated vegetables (zucchini, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot or a combination)
1 finely chopped onion (I used crushed garlic instead)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander
50g chopped ham (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for shallow frying

Method
Once the vegetables are grated, place in a colander, mix through 1 teaspoon salt and allow to drain on the sink for 10 minutes. Squeeze out liquid with your hands before adding to the mix.

Sift together brown rice flour, polenta, coconut flour, cumin and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Whisk eggs and add to flour mixture, stir until smooth. Add in corn, grated vegetables, chopped coriander and onion/garlic (ham if using) and stir until well combined. Season to taste. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, to allow flavours to absorb.

Add enough oil to cover base of a large, non-stick frying pan. Heat over medium heat until very hot. Using ¼ cup of mixture per fritter, spoon mixture, 3 fritters at a time, into pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until golden and firm to touch in the centre.

Serve plain or with a dollop of sour cream.

Notes
*Tapioca and besan also work well here.