Perkedel are Indonesian fried fritters, found everywhere from city streets to high-end restaurants. This dish carries a lot of variations, but most contain potatoes and ground meat, so that’s what I focused on in this recipe (most variations use just beef, but I found adding pork evens out the flavors). Speaking of variations, I made two versions of this dish as you’ll see in the pictures below: one with the breading, and one without. Both are awesome and easy to throw together.
The word Perkedel is actually a derivative of the Dutch word Frikandel, which is a deep-fried sausage that doesn’t have a casing and is often sliced down the middle and stuffed with toppings (the original #hotdogasthebun, in truth). The Dutch first colonized Indonesia, so there is a lot of cool Dutch influence like this in the archipelago (and vice-versa – Indonesian food is wildly popular in The Netherlands).
Totally unrelated, but the folks at Tabasco offered to give a selection of their sauces to one of my readers, shipped in time for Super Bowl this weekend; head over to this FB post to throw your name in the hat, if you’d like.
Be sure to wet your hands when forming the meatballs, as they’ll want to stick to your fingers.
Indonesian Meat and Potato Fritters (Perkedel)
for the meatballs:
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1 tbsp butter or ghee
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 dash ground ginger
1/4 cup lard or coconut oil
breading (optional, see notes below):
1/4 cup tapioca starch
4 eggs, beaten
1. Place the potatoes in a stockpot and cover with 1″ water. Bring the water to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until fork-tender, about 12 minutes. Strain and mash with a potato masher or sturdy fork; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
2. In a skillet or wok, warm the butter or ghee over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine the cooled potatoes, shallots, and garlic with the remaining meatball ingredients; form into 1″ balls, smashing down slightly. You should be able to make about 30 balls.
4. Warm your oven to 200F. Return the skillet or wok to the heat, and warm the lard or oil over medium/high heat. You’re looking for an oil temperature of about 350F. Once the oil is ready, dip a ball into the starch, rolling slightly to lightly coat, then dip into the beaten egg. Shake off excess egg and add to the oil. Continue this process until you have filled your pan with meatballs (without overcrowding). Pan-fry until cooked through, about 8 minutes, turning periodically.
5. As the fritters finish cooking, place them on a plate lined with paper towels; keep them warm in the oven as you cook your next batch. Once they’re all cooked through, serve the fritters.
** This dish can also be made without the outer breading. To do so, heat the oil to only 325F and drop right into the oil after forming the balls. Cook until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes, turning periodically.
Perkedel without the breading. Still delicious.
