Once you start it is hard to stop eating Perkedel Jagung. These golden fried Indonesian corn fritters, also know as bakwan jagung, are found everywhere in Bali. After one bite you will know why they are such a popular snack food.
No secret that I love easy recipes and these Indonesian corn fritters fit that brief perfectly. They are golden and crunchy. Bursting with flavour and nuggets of juicy sweetcorn kernels in every bite.
Thank you to Australian Chef Dean Keddell for allowing me to share his recipe with you. The perkadel jagung recipe comes from Dean's very special new cookbook, Our Bali Your Bali.
What makes Dean's cookbook so special? Not only is it packed with authentic Balinese recipes, but it's also in aid of an incredible cause.
When I was contacted about Dean's cookbook Our Bali Your Bali I purchased a copy instantly!
Bali is in crisis right now due to the Covid 19 pandemic. This tiny Indonesian island survives on the tourist dollar. Now, there are no tourists. Instead, there are now 145,000 unemployed Balinese trying to survive with no end in sight.
I travelled to Bali for the first time in 2019. To be honest it was never high on my travel list. That visit changed my view completely, it's a gorgeous place to visit. What makes it more so is the local Balinese people.
Once I'm able to I will be returning to Bali. Until then Dean's book will transport us and our tastebuds on a tropical holiday. I do encourage you to support this cause, and until your copy turns up try this must make perkedel jagung recipe.
Sara xxx
Our Bali Your Bali Cookbook
Our Bali Your Bali is a 400-page coffee-table cookbook by Australian Chef Dean Keddell. Dean lives in Bali with his wife and two children.
The cookbook captures Bali’s warm and sincere hospitality. It's filled with stories, photos, and authentic local recipes. Plus secret signature dish recipes from Dean's own Bali restaurants Ginger Moon and Jackson Lily's.
Funds from the cookbook will provide desperately needed funding to five Bali charities. Helping thousands of families get through the pandemic crisis.
The five charities that will receive funding from the project are:
Bali Children's Foundation - helping thousands of local children to complete school and to find employment.
Scholars of Sustenance - combatting the effects of COVID-19 by providing nutrition to those in need.
Friends of the National Parks Foundation - working to protect wildlife and their habitats, at the same time supporting local communities.
East Bali Poverty Project - helping people to help themselves
Bali Wise by R.O.L.E Foundation - empowering marginalized women through skills education, as a means to develop sustainable communities.
Buy your copy and support this important cause via the fundraising page on Chuffed.
A Great Introduction to Balinese Food
Our Bali Your Bali offers a great collection of Indonesian/Balinese recipes. The recipes are authentic using local ingredients. Luckily these days most ingredients are easy to obtain outside Indonesia, or easily substituted.
Balinese food has spice and heat, and they utilise local seasonal produce. Meats include chicken, pork, and seafood. Beef is rarely used due to the large Hindu population. Rice is the staple grain, along with fresh tropical fruits and vegetables.
I ate a corn cob like no other on Jimberan Beach (see image above). Sweet, juicy, and full of flavour. That's why I chose to share the perkedel jagung recipe with you. Reliving my memories of a wonderful evening on the beach in Bali.
Ingredients
- Lime Leaves: Fresh Kaffir lime leaves are best, but they are also available sliced in jars at the supermarket.
- Celery Leaf: Use the often discarded leaves from celery. They are full of intense celery flavour.
- Garlic: 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic from a jar can be substituted for 1 garlic clove.
- Ginger: As always fresh is best, but if you can't get hold of fresh ginger where you are substitute crushed ginger from a jar.
- Pepper: Finely ground black pepper for seasoning.
- Egg: Free-range if you can, happy chooks equal happy eggs.
- Salt: A touch for seasoning.
- Corn: Fresh in-season juicy sweet corn is perfect for this recipe. In a pinch (I can hear Chef Keddell groaning now) yes you can substitute frozen. I would avoid canned corn due to the flavour.
- Flour: Plain all-purpose white flour.
What to Serve with Perkedel Jagung
A sambal or chili garlic sauce is the perfect dipping match for perkedel jagung. My favourite way to eat them is with a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lime juice. If you are serving these as part of a larger spread, the below would go well with them.
- Filipino Empanadas
- Bakkwa
- Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino Spring Rolls)
- Mushroom Sang Choy Bow
- Siu Mai
Recipe Instructions
Scroll to the bottom of the page for a printable version of this recipe.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
Add water, a bit at a time, mixing as you go.
The amount of water that you will need to add will depend on how juicy your corn is.
The end result should be a thickish batter that binds the ingredients together.
Drop spoonfuls of corn batter into hot oil and fry. Turning the fritters over to cook evenly.
Warning: The juices from the corn can make the fritters pop when frying making the oil splatter, be careful.
Remove perkedel jagung from oil when golden and cooked through.
Place cooked fritters on a wire cake rack while cooking the rest of fritters. This will prevent them from going soggy.
Sara's Top Recipe Tips
- Make the batter when you are ready to cook. Making it ahead of time may leave you with a watery mixture from the corn juices.
- Drain fried fritters on a wire rack and not on paper towel. This will prevent them from going soggy.
- Let the batter free fall into the hot oil, don't press the mixture to form patties. This way you will end up with crunchier perkedel jagung.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking, allow the oil to circulate around the fritters for even cooking.
- My favourite way to eat these is simply with a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. They also go rather well with a margarita this way.
FAQs
You can serve perkedel jagung either hot or at room temperature. They are best when freshly cooked but are often eaten at room temperature.
Store leftover corn fritters in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Re-heat in the oven on a wire rack or in an air fryer.
Yes you can freeze cooked Indonesian corn fritters. Simply freeze once cold. Re-heat in the oven on a wire rack or in an air fryer.
Printable Recipe
Perkedel Jagung - Indonesian Corn Fritters
Ingredients
- 3 ears sweet corn | kernels removed from the cob (see note)
- 1 garlic clove | finely chopped (or minced)
- ¼ cup celery leaf | finely sliced
- 5 kaffir lime leaves | finely sliced
- 125 grams (4.40 oz/scant cup) plain flour
- 1 egg | large
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- water | this will depend on size of egg and how juicy corn is
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl, except water, and mix well.
- Add water, a bit at a time, mixing as you go.The amount of water that you will need to add will depend on how juicy your corn is.The end result should be a thickish batter that binds the ingredients together.
- To fry the fritters add vegetable oil to a wok. The oil should be around 6-7cm (2-2½ inches) deep.Heat oil until it reaches 180°C (350°F).
- Place spoonfuls of mixture in the oil and fry until golden. Don't forget to the turn the fritters over for even frying.
- Once golden, remove from wok and drain on a wire rack. Continue with the rest of the batter.
- Serve with sambal, chilli, or salt and lime.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
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