Hush Puppies Recipe | Aarti Sequeira

Level: Intermediate

Makes: 4 servings (approximately 20 hush puppies)

Nutrition Per Serving:

Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe

Calories: 257

Total Fat: 11 g

Saturated Fat: 6 g

Carbohydrates: 34 g

Dietary Fiber: 2 g

Sugars: 3 g

Protein: 6 g

Cholesterol: 64 mg

Sodium: 263 mg

Total Time: 50 minutes

Active Cooking: 35 minutes

Background

Just down the road from our last house in Los Angeles was a modest eatery called Mel's Fish Shack, where the battered fish was always accompanied by an order of hush puppies. When I learned they were store-bought, I was disappointed at first until I discovered how simple they are to make at home. This recipe is my homemade take, inspired by the Indian snack dhokla a savory chickpea cake with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and coconut woven in for brightness and texture.

Ingredients

Tempering Oil (Tadka):

2 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds (see Cook's Note)

1 serrano chile, minced

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves

Hush Puppies:

3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for finishing

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

Zest and juice of 1 lime

Oil for frying, such as canola or vegetable oil

Small handful chopped fresh cilantro

Small handful grated coconut, fresh or thawed

Special equipment: deep-frying thermometer or deep fryer

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200F. Line a baking sheet with three layers of paper towels and set a wire rack on top; keep warm until needed.
Make the tempering oil: heat ghee in a small pan over medium heat; test by dropping in a couple mustard seeds if they pop immediately, add the remaining seeds and the minced chile. Cook ~5 seconds, then add the curry leaves (they will sizzle). Cook ~30 seconds more, then transfer the mixture to a small bowl to cool.
Make the batter: in a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, turmeric, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, lime zest, and lime juice. Add the wet mixture and the cooled tempering oil to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
While the batter rests, pour frying oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet to about 3/4-inch depth or prepare a deep fryer and heat oil to 375F.
Fry the hush puppies: drop about 1 tablespoon scoops of batter into the hot oil, working in small batches and avoiding overcrowding. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the wire rack, immediately sprinkle with salt and a little lime juice, and keep warm in the oven.
Before serving, scatter chopped cilantro and grated coconut over the hush puppies.

Cook's Note

Black or brown mustard seeds are preferred for their nutty heat. Fresh curry leaves are best; dried leaves lack the same flavor, so omit them if you cannot find fresh ones the mustard seeds will still add great flavor.

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