Recipes for Potato Frikadels and Corn Fritters

Ingredients

1 Pound Chuck Beef Stew

• 1/3 cup peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter 
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

1. Partially freeze steak; trim fat from steak. Slice steak diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips, and set aside.
2. Combine cilantro and next 4 ingredients in a large heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag; seal bag, and shake well. Add steak to bag; seal bag, and shake until steak is well coated. Marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.
3. Combine peanut butter, coconut milk, minced gingerroot, soy sauce, lime juice, and red pepper in a small bowl; stir well. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
4. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Thread steak onto 4 (12-inch) metal skewers.
5. Place greased grill rack on grill over medium-hot coals (350° to 400°). Place kabobs on rack; grill, covered, 5 minutes or to desired degree of doneness, turning skewers once.
6. Combine rice and green onions; toss well. Transfer rice mixture to a serving platter, and top with steak. Serve with peanut butter mixture.

Corn Fritters

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh corn kernels or canned,

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/3 cup flour

2 scallions, finely chopped

Canola oil for deep frying

Dipping sauce:

3 tbsp sriracha chili sauce or chili garlic sauce

 3 tbsp water

1 tsp sugar

Procedure

1. Use mini food processor to chop 1/2 cup of corn into coarse mass.
2. In a mixing bowl, place coarsely chopped coconut, whole kernels corn, water, flour, cornstarch, egg, flour, sugar, and scallions. Mix and stir to create a thick batter. You can add additional 1 tsp flour at a time if it is too thin. Set aside to rest about 30 minutes.
3. For dipping sauce, place all of the ingredients on a small bowl. Mix and stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust to your likings. Add more sugar, water or salt or chili sauce according to your taste.
4. In a pot or wok, pour oil to a dept of about 1-inch and heat it over medium-high until it reach 350 F or you can test it with a bamboo chopstick. Stand it in the oil and if some small bubbles gather on the surface around the chopstick then the oil is ready.
5. Scoop about 1 tbsp batter and gently put it into the hot oil. Cook just as many as will fit in the wok without crowding it. Turning the fritters once and fry them until crisp, puffed and golden brown. It will take about 3 minutes.

Comfort Food at Its Best: Corn Fritters and Beef Satay

My family has a love-hate relationship with food. They love eating, but not necessarily creating "family-tradition" recipes. However, my maid loves cooking and she's the best cook ever. Therefore, 10 years ago, my mom assigned my maid to cook something phenomenal for new year's eve and steal the recipe so it can eventually be a family tradition. Well, my maid created a dish called Sate (Beef Skewers) and Bakwan Jagung (Corn Fritters). Since then, we always had these dishes every week.

This potato and corn appetizers are more than an ordinary Indonesian food. It contains a story that I associate with my family and also with my country. Corn fritters are normally being sold from carts on street corners in Indonesia. When I was small, I used to hangout with my friends while buying snacks on the street in front of my school. 

Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch in the early 1900s. Beef Satay (Sate) are actually an Indonesian appetizer with a dutch influence. Being far away from my family, these appetizers remind me of my family back in Indonesia. During the weekends, my parents and I loved to explore Indonesian street food, especially these chicken and beef satay. The dutch loved these food so much that they adapted a meal called Indonesian "Rijsttafel" (rice table). I love cooking and I used to cook these appetizers when I miss my family. It is a simple yet delicious dish that allows me to reminisce my hometown. 

When cooking these dishes, I was transported back to my hometown. I associate myself with Indonesian ingredients and spices, and it made me realize how much I miss my family back in Indonesia. All in all, I hope you guys enjoy the experience of trying these well-known Indonesian appetizers!

http://youtu.be/Xy8snWC98IU