Perkedel

Perkedel is an Indonesian patty of mashed potato, usually bound with egg and fried until golden. It is one of the most common side dishes in Indonesian home and restaurant cooking.

What it really is

Perkedel kentang is made from boiled and mashed potato, seasoned with shallot, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and bound with egg. The mixture is shaped into small flat oval or round patties, often rolled in breadcrumbs or dusted with flour, and fried in hot oil until the outside is crisp and brown. Variants add minced beef or chicken, or sweet corn, in which case the dish is called perkedel daging or perkedel jagung.

Perkedel is related to European croquettes and to the Dutch frikandel-style fried foods that came with Dutch colonial cooking, but the Indonesian version is simpler and is usually shaped flat rather than rolled into cylinders. It differs from bakwan, a batter-based fritter with shredded vegetables, because perkedel is built on a solid mash rather than a thin batter.

How it's served

• Served hot or at room temperature as a side with rice and main dishes such as soto or nasi goreng.
• Often part of a nasi campur or rice plate with sambal, vegetables and fried protein.
• Eaten by hand or with a fork and spoon, usually with sambal or a tomato-chilli relish alongside.
• Sold as a snack from street stalls and food carts, often wrapped in paper.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredient as potato (perkedel kentang), or state the variant such as perkedel daging with minced beef or perkedel jagung with sweet corn.
• Flag EGGS and, where breadcrumbs or flour are used for coating, WHEAT.
• State that the patties are deep fried in vegetable oil.
• Say whether the dish is served with sambal or a tomato relish, as this is commonly offered alongside.