Indonesian Perkedel - Ethnic Foods R Us

Indonesian Perkedel was derived from the Dutch dish, Frikadel. Frikadel, however, is more of a spiced and seasoned meat dumpling, while Indonesian Perkedel uses potatoes rather than meat. Perkedel goes great as a side dish with any Indonesian meal, and it is one of the dishes served during the festive national meal called the Nasi Tumpeng.

(Photo Attributed to Author: Sakurai Midori)

Indonesian Perkedel Recipe-

Ingredients:

For the Basic Potato Patties-

2 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces
2 stalks celery, tough ends trimmed away and chopped fine
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp. chicken oil (if you can’t find this locally, make your own – instructions below)
extra virgin coconut oil for deep frying

For the Spice Paste-

3 green onions, tough ends trimmed off and diced
4 large cloves garlic
3 Beji Kemiri (candle nuts)
1/2 nutmeg, grated
1-1/2 tsp. freshly ground white peppercorns
1 tsp. fine sea salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the diced potatoes on a lightly oiled baking pan. Bake for half an hour or until tender. Take out of the oven and set aside to cool down enough to handle.
Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pulverize the garlic, garlic, peppercorns, green onions, sea salt and candle nuts into a smooth, fine paste.
Add the chicken oil into a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Stir fry your spice paste until it becomes so fragrant you can smell it in the next room.
Again using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, process your diced baked potatoes into a smooth mash. Then add and stir in the fried spice paste, along with any chicken oil left in the pan from the stir-frying. Also add and stir in the grated nutmeg. Process further until all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
Next, transfer this mashed and spiced potatoes mixture into a large mixing bowl; add and stir in the chopped Chinese celery.
Mold this mixture into round and slightly flattened patties. Dip the patties into the beaten eggs, coating them well all over.
Heat the coconut oil in a deep skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. You want enough oil to come about half way up the sides of the patties. Deep-fry until golden brown – about 2 minutes should do it – and then turn them over and fry the other sides until a rich golden brown color is achieved.
Use a large slotted kitchen spoon to scoop the patties out, and set them on a paper-towel lined tray to drain.
Serve your Indonesian Perkedel while nice and warm.

How to Make Homemade Chicken Oil

Chicken oil is easy to make. Here are the simple, basic steps:

Render Some Chicken Fat. When you prep chicken for cooking, trim off the excess fatty parts and reserve it. You can also use chicken skins, or a combination of both. Heat up the skins/fatty parts in a skillet over low heat to draw out the pure fat oils. When the skins get crispy and golden, use a slotted spoon and remove all the solids from the skillet and discard. Pour the oil through a sieve (placed over a mixing bowl) to remove any remaining tiny solids.
Add Garlic and Annatto Seeds. Add and stir into the oil 2 or three crushed cloves of garlic, and about a tablespoon of annatto seeds (more or less of each, if desired, to your tastes). Some people like to add a little salt, also. Again, this is a matter of choice and taste. Definitely do add at least some garlic and annatto, however, for authentic Indonesian style chicken oil.
Store it, and Use it or Lose it. The oil is ready to use now. If you are not using it all right away, it will store for a short while. Place it in bottles or vessels with tight fitting lids, and you can store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for, usually, up to 5 days. Any longer than that, it will lose much of its distinctive taste, and eventually spoil on you if kept for much more than a week or two.