Batagor

Ingredients

Dumplings

• 300 gwhite fish fillet, such as mackerel or tenggiri
• 150 gtapioca starch
• 50 gplain flour
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 2spring onions, finely sliced
• 1egg white
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• ½ tspwhite pepper
• 80 mlice-cold water

To assemble

• 8squares firm tofu, hollowed slightly
• 16wonton wrappers
• 1 litreoil, for frying

Peanut sauce

• 200 groasted peanuts
• 4dried chillies, soaked
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 2candlenuts
• 1 tbsptamarind paste
• 3 tbsppalm sugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 400 mlwater
• 2 tbspoil

To serve

• kecap manis
• sambal
• lime wedges
• fried shallots

Directions

1. Blend the fish with the garlic, salt, sugar and pepper to a smooth paste, keeping everything cold and adding the ice water a spoonful at a time.
2. Fold in the tapioca starch, flour, egg white and spring onion. Do not overwork it — the paste should stay cold and springy.
3. Fill the hollowed tofu squares with the fish paste, and put a teaspoon on each wonton wrapper, gathering the edges up loosely around it without sealing the top.
4. Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F) — moderate, because these need to cook through before the outside darkens.
5. Fry the tofu and dumplings in batches for 5–6 minutes, turning, until golden and firm. Drain on a rack.
6. For the sauce, fry the blended chillies, garlic and candlenuts in the oil for 5 minutes until fragrant, then add the ground peanuts, water, tamarind, palm sugar and salt.
7. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to coat a spoon. It thickens further as it cools, so keep it looser than you think.
8. To serve, cut the fried tofu and dumplings into rough bite-sized pieces with scissors directly into the bowl — batagor is always cut up, never served whole — then drown them in hot peanut sauce.
9. Finish with kecap manis, sambal, fried shallots and a squeeze of lime.

Technique

• Cut it up at the last moment and sauce it immediately. Batagor is meant to be eaten while the outside is still crisp under the sauce.
• Tapioca starch gives the bouncy texture; substituting cornflour gives a soft, pasty dumpling.
• The sauce should be loose enough to pool in the bowl. A stiff peanut sauce sits on top instead of coating.

Substitutions

• Prawns in place of some of the fish, which many stalls use.
• Shop-bought fish paste, sold frozen in Asian supermarkets.

Variations

• Siomay, the steamed version of the same dumplings with the same peanut sauce.
• A version with boiled egg, cabbage and potato added to the bowl.

History

A Bandung invention of the 1970s, adapting steamed siomay by frying the leftovers instead.

Frequently asked questions

What is Batagor?

Batagor is a street food from Indonesia: fried fish and tofu dumplings cut up and drowned in peanut sauce. A Bandung invention of the 1970s, adapting steamed siomay by frying the leftovers instead.

How long does Batagor take to make?

Batagor takes 40 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Batagor?

Yes, within limits. Prawns in place of some of the fish, which many stalls use. Shop-bought fish paste, sold frozen in Asian supermarkets.

What is the most important thing to get right in Batagor?

Fold in the tapioca starch, flour, egg white and spring onion. Do not overwork it — the paste should stay cold and springy.