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      Home » Thai Appetizers

      Thai corn fritters recipe (Tod Man Khao Pod)

      Published: Sep 3, 2022 · Modified: Oct 6, 2022 by Suwanee · This post may contain affiliate links.

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      Thai corn fritters recipe (Tod Man Khao Pod) It's a tasty finger food perfect for sharing as tasty appetizers with guests at dinner parties. The natural sweetness of corn mixed with creamy coconut milk and curry paste seasoned with kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce makes this crispy fritters extra addicting!

      The best dipping sauce for Thai corn fritters is the Thai sweet chili dipping sauce. Another recipe that pairs well with the dipping sauce is Thai shrimp cakes with sweet chili sauce (Tod Mun Goong). Both are tasty and amazing and well-loved appetizers in the Thai food scene. 

      Thai corn fritters with dipping sauce on a cutting board

      What are Thai sweet corn fritters made of?

      Thai corn fritters recipe (Tod Man Khao Pod) is a savory and delicious vegetable starter using fresh sweet corn, mixed coconut milk, rice flour seasoned with red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves, and seasoned with fish sauce for a lightly spicy but herbaceous taste.

      Why This Thai corn fritters Recipe Works

      • You can shallow pan fry or deep fry. For a healthier option, pan-fry the fritters. For a tastier indulgence, deep fry away the corn fritters! Both delicious!
      • Corn fritters freeze well. So you can make it in huge batches, cook it, then freeze it for dinner gatherings. It's a great way to have quick appetizers for guests before the main meals.

      What Goes Into This Recipe 

      thai corn fritters ingredients on a cutting board

      • Corn kernels. Use 2-3 3 ears of fresh sweet corn to make this recipe.
      • Egg. You can lightly whisk the egg before adding it to the mixture for an easier stirring of the batter. 
      • Rice flour. Substitute regular flour is fine. 
      • Baking powder. It helps make the fritters light and crunchy.
      • Fish sauce. Adjust as necessary once the batter is mixed in the mixing bowl.
      • Coconut milk. You can use lite coconut milk for this recipe.
      • Red curry paste. Use store-bought or homemade recipes. Adjust as necessary for your spice level.
      • Kaffir lime leaves. They are also called makrut lime leaves. Chop the leaves finely for this recipe, as the leaves have a tough and strong flavor if not chopped into tiny pieces. 
      • Oil. Use coconut, oil, canola, or avocado for frying. You will need at least an inch of oil in the saucepan for deep frying.

      How To Make Thai corn fritters 

      Step One

      Carefully slice the corn with a sharp knife, then place corn kernels in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients except the rice flour to the bowl and mix with a spatula until a soft batter forms. Break up the curry paste, so no big clumps are left. Imagine the surprise of biting into a big chunk of curry paste in your fritter! (: Make sure the batter it’s not too runny either. Add a little more flour if necessary.


      Step Two

      Add the flour and mix in well until a soft batter forms. You can thicken the batter here a little bit if preferred. Taste and adjust the seasoning here with more fish sauce or salt. Or, if it's too salty, add a dash of sugar to balance the saltiness. 

      pouring flour into corn fritter batter in a glass bowl with spatula
      corn fritter batter in a glass bowl with spatula

      Step Three

      For shallow frying, add 2 tablespoons of oil to a frying pan on medium heat on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of corn mixture into the pan, and fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

      For deep frying. Place enough oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Wait until the oil is hot, then scoop a tablespoon of corn fritter into the oil. Cook for 2 minutes or until light golden brown. Use a tong or slotted spoon to scope out the fritters on a plate lined with a paper towel. Be careful with the hot oil. The deep frying version will yield a thick fritter than the shallow frying version. Repeat until the corn mixture is gone.

      shallow frying corn fritters
      deep frying corn fritters

      Step Four

      Place the fried fritters on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until the remaining batter is gone. Once the fritters are cooled to room temperature, Serve the corn fritters with sweet Thai chili sauce. Enjoy the best corn fritters ever! (: Garnish with some sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, or even some sesame seeds for fun!

      corn fritters with dipping sauce

      Helpful Kitchen notes And Expert Tips

      • You can use regular flour instead of rice flour. You will need to add a little extra because it's lighter flour made from a lighter grain. Wheat grains are softer than rice grains, so it absorbs less water.
      • Use cold instead of coconut milk for a healthier option. Add a cup of iced water to the batter. The ice water also helps the fritter get extra crispy.
      • For the dipping sauce, use store-bought Thai sweet chili sauce. The same sauce is used for spring rolls, Gai Yang chicken, and Thai fish cakes.
      • If you don't have kaffir lime leaves, try adding ½-1 teaspoon of lime zest. Taste the batter before frying to see if you like the flavors. 

      FAQs  

      Can I substitute regular flour for rice flour?

      You can. Rice flour is gluten-free, heavier than regular flour made from wheat, and shouldn't be used in a 1:1 ratio. Use less rice flour than you would regular flour. Play around with the ratio until the texture of the batter is not too thick nor runny before frying.

      Can you use cornstarch instead of flour in fritters?

      Yes. Cornstarch can be used as a substitute. Corn starch helps with making the fritters more crispy!

      Can I freeze fritters?

      Yes. Cooked corn fritters freeze well if you can't finish all the pieces from your recipe. Store them in food-safe ziplock bags, and they keep well for up to 3 months in the freezer.

      What is the best way to reheat corn fritters?

      There are three ways to repeat corn fritters. Using the microwave, reheat for 20-30 seconds. In the oven, after preheating, bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes. In the air fryer, after preheating, cook at 400 for 6-8 minutes. 

      Thai corn fritters with dipping sauce

      More Thai Recipes You’ll Love!

      Thai spicy grilled corn salad, 

      Thai shrimp cakes with sweet chili sauce (Tod Mun Goong)

      Easy chicken satay recipe

      Son-in-law egg recipe

      Crispy egg salad yam kai dow

      ** Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star ?rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram! **

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      Thai corn fritters with dipping sauce on a cutting board

      Thai corn fritters recipe (Tod Man Khao Pod)


      ★★★★★

      5 from 3 reviews

      • Author: Suwanee
      • Total Time: 30 minutes
      • Yield: 6 1x
      • Diet: Gluten Free
      Print Recipe
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      Description

      Thai corn fritters recipe (Tod Man Khao Pod) It's a tasty finger food perfect for sharing as tasty appetizers with guests at dinner parties. The natural sweetness of corn mixed with creamy coconut milk and curry paste seasoned with kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce makes this crispy fritters extra addicting!


      Ingredients

      Scale
      • 2 ½ cups corn kernels
      • 1 egg
      • 1 cup rice flour
      • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
      • ½ tablespoon fish sauce
      • ½ cup coconut milk
      • 2-3 tablespoons red curry paste (as needed for your spice level.) Mae Ploy brand was used for this recipe.
      • 3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
      • ¼ cup canola oil

      Instructions

      1. Carefully slice the corn with a sharp knife, then place corn kernels in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients except the rice flour to the bowl and mix with a spatula until a soft batter forms. Break up the curry paste, so no big clumps are left. Imagine the surprise of biting into a big chunk of curry paste in your fritter! (: Make sure the batter it’s not too runny either. Add a little more flour if necessary.
      2. Add the flour and mix in well until a soft batter forms. You can thicken the batter here a little bit if preferred. Taste and adjust the seasoning here to your liking with more fish sauce or salt. Or, if it's too salty, add a dash of sugar to balance the saltiness. 
      3. For shallow frying, add 2 tablespoons of oil to a frying pan on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of corn mixture into the pan, and fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. For deep frying, place enough oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Wait until the oil is hot, then scoop a tablespoon of corn fritter into the oil. Cook for 2 minutes or until light golden brown. Use a tong or slotted spoon to scope out the fritters on a plate lined with a paper towel. Be careful with the hot oil. The deep frying version will yield a thick fritter than the shallow frying version. Repeat until the corn mixture is gone.
      4. Place the fried fritters on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until the remaining batter is gone. Once the fritters are cooled to room temperature, Serve the corn fritters with Thai sweet chili sauce. Enjoy the best corn fritters ever! (: Garnish with some sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, or even some sesame seeds for fun!

      Notes

      • You can use regular flour instead of rice flour. You will need to add a little extra because it's lighter flour made from a lighter grain. Wheat grains are softer than rice grains, so it absorbs less water.
      • Use cold instead of coconut milk for a healthier option. Add a cup of ice water to the batter. The ice water also helps the fritter get extra crispy.
      • For the dipping sauce, use store-bought Thai sweet chili sauce. The same sauce is used for spring rolls, Gai Yang chicken, and Thai fish cakes.

      ** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **

      • Prep Time: 10
      • Cook Time: 20
      • Category: Appetizer
      • Method: frying
      • Cuisine: Thai

      Keywords: thai corn fritters, thai corn fritters recipe, tod mun kao pod, corn fritters

      Did you make this recipe?

      Please rate and review this recipe in the comment section below so I can improve and make it a better experience for you!

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Suwanee

        July 30, 2023 at 9:30 am

        Thank you Susan, it's a perfect summer appetizer, especially during corn season right now!

      2. Susan

        July 29, 2023 at 6:40 pm

        Yum! This looks great.

        ★★★★★

      3. Rachel Heinz

        July 12, 2023 at 9:07 am

        So light and tasty! My kids devoured these. I can’t wait until we have fresh corn soon! I bet it will be even more abasing! Thank you for your recipe!

        ★★★★★

      4. Suwanee

        October 23, 2022 at 6:04 pm

        Thank you so much, Vee! So happy to hear it! (:

      5. Vee

        October 23, 2022 at 4:28 am

        These corn fritters were delicious! My whole family loved them - even our one year old couldn’t get enough of them despite the spice. I’ll be making more of these!

        ★★★★★

      6. Suwanee

        October 06, 2022 at 7:54 pm

        Hi Sue! Great catch and THANK YOU! I fixed it. You'll definitely want to chop the leaves up into very fine pieces for this recipe. (: Yes, in Tom Kha and Tom Yum, the leaves are typically left in large pieces and not eaten at serving. I don't blame you for not wanting the tough and bold flavored leaves in a bite of the corn fritter. Hope you enjoy this recipe! - Suwanee

      7. Sue

        October 06, 2022 at 1:00 pm

        In your corn fritter recipe you list 3 kaffir lime leaves. Are those to be chopped fine, sliced etc.
        I see someone talks about kaffir powder put that is not something I stock or have even seen.
        I always pull the leaves out of my Tom Kha before I serve it but I'm just not much into chewing up leaves these days...;)
        Thanks for all the recipes you send out to us Thai food enthusiasts!!!!!

      8. Suwanee

        September 05, 2022 at 8:22 pm

        Hi Matthew,
        I've never used kaffir lime powder before, but I would suggest this. Try adding 1 teaspoon of the powder into the batter, and taste it before frying. If you can taste the kaffir powder and like it, go with it. If not, add another 1/2 teaspoon and keep adjusting until you like the batter. Adding a little bit at a time helps prevent bitterness or a strong taste from the powder. I hope this is a helpful suggestion. Please let me know. Thank you.

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      Hi there, I’m Suwanee! I'm the person behind this Thai food blog. I spent thirteen years of childhood in Thailand, where I was first introduced to the flavors of Thai cooking. You are in the right place if you: Love to cook Thai food. Come by often, and let's get cooking! Read More…

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