Today I'm partnering with Lifeway Kefir to whip up savory kefir corn cakes!
Alright you guys, we've officially entered May. Do you know what that means? It's almost summertime which means hello gorgeous produce! I've jumped the gun a little early and already started buying all the berries, bell peppers, and most recently, corn. Luckily, living in California means that the vegetables in May still taste pretty darn great. Take the corn for instance. The sweet kernels were just calling to me, asking to be made into savory kefir corn cakes. Top the corn cakes with fried eggs and pair them with chipotle lime crema and you have one delicious vegetarian meal!
Kefir Corn Cakes with Fried Eggs
Ingredients
Kefir corn cakes
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup plain Lifeway Kefir
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups corn kernels
- ½ anaheim pepper chopped
- ½ jalapeno seeded and chopped
- ¼ cup scallions chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ cup shredded gouda cheese
- oil for pan frying
Chipotle lime crema
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon canned chipotle adobo juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 6 fried eggs
- 2 tablespoons cilantro for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fried shallots for garnish
- Maldon salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk together kefir with egg and add to dry mixture. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add corn, anaheim pepper, and jalapeno, and saute until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped scallions, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, make chipotle lime crema. Combine sour cream with cilantro, chipotle adobo juice, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Add cooled vegetable mixture to cornmeal batter and stir until combined. Add shredded gouda and stir until combined.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Scoop ¼ cup batter per corn cake onto pan. Cook until golden brown, flip and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Transfer kefir corn cakes to a serving plate and place a dollop of chipotle lime crema on top. Top with fried eggs, cilantro, and fried shallots. Sprinkle with maldon salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Every year during the summer, I always make sure to cook corn fritters at least two or three times. They're so easy to put together and when the corn is sweet, the fritters are very tasty. Today I wanted to make a heartier version of those fritters, making them the main dish.
To transform basic corn fritters into corn cakes, we're going to add more vegetables, bump up the dry ingredients, and incorporate kefir. The kefir will ensure that the corn cakes will be moist and will help bind all of the ingredients together.
Start making the batter by sauteing the vegetables. Shuck fresh corn and chop the peppers. Technically you can use frozen corn or canned corn, but personally, I think fresh is best.
Saute the vegetables until softened and stir in the chopped scallions, cilantro, and chili powder. Let the mixture cool slightly. You can also prepare this step the night before.
Next, combine the sauteed vegetables with the remaining batter ingredients including cornmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, kefir, egg, salt, and shredded gouda.
If you're not a fan of Gouda, substitute it with any other shredded cheese such as cheddar, mozzarella, fontina, and Mexican cheese blend.
Heat up a large saute pan or griddle and scoop about ¼ cup of the batter onto the hot skillet. You can make the kefir corn cakes bigger but it's easier to flip them over when they're smaller.
Continue to cook the corn cakes until golden brown, then flip them over and brown on the other side.
You can serve the corn cakes just as is but if you want to turn them into a full meal, go ahead and fry a couple of eggs.
I also highly insist on you making the chipotle lime crema. The tangy sauce with a hint of smokiness complements the savory cakes beautifully.
Transfer the kefir corn cakes to a serving platter and top them with the crema, fried eggs, crispy shallots, and chopped cilantro. Give a final sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and serve the cakes with lime wedges on the side.
I can say without a doubt that these kefir corn cakes were substantial enough for a full meal. The corn cakes themselves are almost like an incredibly soft cornbread loaded with corn. Top those with perfectly cooked runny eggs and the smoky creamy sauce and you have one winning dish!
For more vegetarian inspiration check out this black bean hummus tartine!
Leave a Reply