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Perkedel
Potato fritters
Soft potato fritters with spring onion, celery leaf and nutmeg, dipped in egg and fried golden
Perkedel came to Indonesia from the Dutch frikadel, but became something quite different: mashed fried potato seasoned with nutmeg, white pepper, spring onion and fried shallots, shaped into little patties and fried in a coating of egg. Families make them for soto, for nasi kuning platters and Lebaran tables, and children grab them cold from the fridge. The outside is lacy and golden, the inside soft and peppery. Chef's tip: fry the potatoes before mashing, rather than boiling them — it's the Indonesian way, and it gives drier, fluffier potato that holds its shape without flour.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb potatoesfloury, peeled, in 1 cm slices
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor frying
- 3 spring onionsfinely sliced
- 1 handful Chinese celery leaves or parsleyfinely chopped
- 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots
- 2 cloves garlicgrated
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 eggfor the mix
- 2 eggsbeaten, for coating
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ⅓ lb potatoes slices dry. Heat 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan over a medium heat and fry the potatoes in batches for 6–8 minutes, until cooked through and pale golden but not crisp. Drain well.
15 minStep 2: Mash the potatoes while hot until fairly smooth. Mix in 3 spring onions, 1 handful Chinese celery leaves or parsley, 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, ½ tsp white pepper, 1 tsp salt and 1 egg. The mix should be soft but hold its shape; chill for 10 minutes if it's sticky.
5 minStep 3: With wet hands, shape into 12 small patties about 1.5 cm thick.
5 minStep 4: Reheat the oil over a medium heat. Dip each patty into 2 eggs and slide straight into the oil. Fry 4 at a time for 2 minutes a side until the egg coating is lacy and deep golden. Turning them before the egg sets is the usual mistake; they break apart.
8 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper. Serve warm with soup, rice or as a snack; they're also good at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does perkedel take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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