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Ketoprak
Ketoprak: Jakarta's fried tofu, rice cake and vermicelli plate under a garlicky ground-peanut sauce
Ketoprak is a Jakarta cart dish, made to order: the seller grinds peanuts, garlic and chilli in a wide stone mortar, loosens them with water and sweet soy, then tips fried tofu, rice cake, rice vermicelli and bean sprouts on top. It is a cousin of gado-gado but simpler, with no egg-and-greens platter, and the raw-garlic sauce is the whole point. Eat it at lunch with plenty of crackers. Chef's tip: grind the garlic with the hot fried peanuts so the garlic mellows slightly; a raw paste made with cold nuts is harsh.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the plate
For the peanut sauce
To serve
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry 4 oz raw skin-on peanuts for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the skins crackle and the nuts smell toasty; lift out onto paper.
5 minStep 2: Pat 10 ½ oz firm tofu dry and fry in the same oil for 6–8 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp on every side. Drain on paper.
8 minStep 3: Soak 2 ⅛ oz rice vermicelli (bihun) in just-boiled water for 3 minutes, until soft, then drain. Pour boiling water over 3 ½ oz bean sprouts, leave 30 seconds and drain.
4 minStep 4: In a mortar or small food processor, grind 2 cloves garlic, 2 bird's eye chillies and ½ tsp salt, then add the warm peanuts and grind to a coarse paste. Work in 1 tbsp palm sugar, then ½ cup warm water a little at a time until the sauce coats a spoon thickly. Stir in 2 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and ½ lime. Common mistake: blending to a smooth butter; ketoprak sauce should have a little crunch.
5 minStep 5: Divide 7 oz lontong or ketupat rice cakes, the vermicelli, bean sprouts, tofu and ½ cucumber between plates. Spoon the sauce over generously, drizzle on a little extra kecap manis and finish with 2 tbsp fried shallots and 1 handful cassava or emping crackers.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ketoprak take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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