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no vegetable in the world has had such a fascinating history as the versatile corn.

This humble grain was an important part of the diets of many ancient cultures in the Americas. Parts of the plant were also utilized to make everyday objects.

Christopher Columbus discovered corn when he found America. Cortes introduced it to Europe, where for many years, corn was only grown in Spain and Italy. The Spanish introduced corn to Indonesia. These days, corn is grown all over the world, with America its biggest producer.

This Old World grain has many modern-day uses, including fabrics, chicken feed, syrup for soft drinks and cakes and biscuits.

Corn is nothing new to the culinary world. Polenta is a staple in northern Italy. The Mexicans have their tortillas, nachos and tacos, all of which use ground maize. In France, they serve puree of sweet corn with foie grass. The Chinese use corn to thicken soups and sauces. In Indonesia, we normally enjoy corn on the cob, whether it be boiled, roasted, grilled or barbecued.

In Manado, there are many dishes where corn plays a part. You can enjoy perkedel jagung ( Manadonese corn cakes or fritters), tumis jagung dan kacang panjang atau terong ( corn sauteed with long beans or eggplant), Manadonese bubur ( porridge), nasi jagung (a mixture of rice and coarsely ground corn) and kokole (a sweet dish that blends corn juice with palm sugar syrup, coconut milk and cinnamon).

Manadonese Corn Cake With Tomato Salsa

This week’s recipe is the famous Manadonese corn cakes or corn fritters. It goes well with Manadonese dabu-dabu or tomato salsa with a twist.

Red tomatoes are used instead of green. Also, extra virgin olive oil is substituted for coconut or palm oil and fresh mint or basil leaves is added. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Four corn cobs or 250 grams of canned corn in water; 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely ground; 5 shallots, finely sliced; 3 fresh lime leaves, finely sliced; 1 whole egg plus an egg white; 3 tablespoons corn flour; 5 tablespoons plain flour; 3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion; salt and black pepper to taste; vegetable oil for deep frying.

For tomato salsa:

Three red tomatoes, seeded and diced; 4 shallots, finely sliced; 2 red chilies, finely sliced; 2 tablespoons lime juice ; 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, a small handful of torn mint or basil; salt and black pepper to taste.

Put all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Serve immediately. You can also prepare this a few hours in advance, but add the lime juice, extra virgin olive oil and mint or basil only before serving.

Method:

Shuck the corn and slice the kernels from the cob and pulse in a food processor for about a minute. Transfer the corn into a large bowl. Add the garlic, shallots, lime leaves and spring onion and mix well. Stir in all the flour. Add the eggs and seasoning. Mix well until you have a thick batter.

Next, heat the oil in a frying pan. Use a spoon to scoop a tablespoon of the batter and a second spoon to scrape the batter into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown. Transfer the corn cakes onto paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately with tomato salsa.