Regañonas Santandereanas: Colombian Sweet Corn Fritters
Regañonas Santandereanas are delicious, rustic, and incredibly simple sweet corn fritters (tentempiés) native to the Santander region of Colombia. Because they rely on the natural sweetness and moisture of fresh corn, they are perfectly versatile to enjoy at any time of the day as an appetizer, a side dish, or even a light main course.
The secret to this ultra-fast 20-minute recipe is its minimalism. You don’t need any flour or heavy batters; simply by grinding fresh, tender corn kernels and binding them with beaten eggs and a pinch of salt, you create a rustic dough that fries into perfectly crispy, golden-brown medallions!
Regañonas Santandereanas (Sweet Corn Fritters)
A simple, 3-ingredient corn fritter from Santander! Freshly ground sweet corn bound with eggs and fried to crispy, golden perfection.
Ingredients
- 4 Ears of fresh sweet corn Mazorcas tiernas
- 2 Eggs
- Salt to taste
- Cooking oil For frying
Instructions
- Prep the corn: The very first step is to remove the fresh corn kernels from the cobs (desgranar). Once removed, proceed to grind them thoroughly using a manual grinder or food processor until they form a wet, chunky paste.
- Mix the batter: In a mixing bowl, combine your freshly ground corn with the 2 previously beaten eggs. Add salt to your liking and mix/knead everything until it forms a unified, thick batter.
- Fry: Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a large pan. Once the oil is hot, use a spoon to carefully drop individual portions of the corn batter into the pan. Let them fry undisturbed until they are beautifully crispy and golden brown (bien doraditas) on both sides.
- Serve: Remove the fritters from the oil, drain any excess fat on paper towels, and enjoy this delicious, naturally sweet craving!
Video
Notes
- What’s in a Name?: This recipe is incredibly typical of the Colombian Santanderes region, which explains the second half of its name. The word “regañonas” (which translates loosely to “scolding women”) playfully comes from a completely unjustified, traditional stereotype that women from this specific region have a famously strong and fiery temper!
- Culinary Cousins: Gastronomically speaking, this quick appetizer is extremely similar to buñuelos de maíz or torticas de choclo. In fact, almost every single region and neighboring country has its own local version of these fried sweet corn cakes, always standing out for their simplicity and fantastic flavor.
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