Batagor (Indonesian Fried Wonton-Meatball)

Batagor (a.k.a Baso Tahu Goreng), literally means Fried Meatball and Tofu, is a popular appetizer that cannot be missed if you happen to visit Indonesia. It is originally from Bandung and unintentionally invented by Ihsan in 1973. Since the invention, there are so many variations of batagor out there. You can create your own version of batagor, however, you still need to have the must-have main elements of the dish – the fried filing (meatball) and the peanut sauce. I am using a ready-made peanut sauce and fish paste sold at the Asian grocery store. For people allergic to nuts, you can still enjoy batagor with ketchup or any other dipping sauce.

This version of my batagor is using a wonton skin, instead of tofu. My family like the crunchiness of crispy wonton skin combined with the juiciness of the meatball. Of course, you can be creative and adventurous with you food so you can add fried tofu or even fried potato to eat along with it. Please give it a try and let me know your comment below. I love to hear from you. Enjoy!

Tip: Before making the whole batch, you can fry one small spoonful of the filing and adjust the taste accordingly. I find that some people like it to be saltier. Once the taste is great, you can wrap all the filing with wonton skin.

Ingredients:

The “Filling”

• 13 oz Asian-style fish paste
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 stalk chopped green onion
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Others

• 1 pack wonton skin
• Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying
• Ready-made peanut sauce (bumbu sate)
• Lime juice
• Sweet soy sauce (optional)
• Ketchup (optional)
• Chili sauce (optional)

Directions:

• Combine the fish paste, ground chicken, tapioca flour, all-purpose flour, sesame oil, green onion and salt. Mix well.
• Preheat oil in deep fryer or frying pan to about 325-350 degree.
• Put about 1/2 tablespoon of the filling in the middle of each wonton skin and fold in half, making a triangle shape. Dab a little water on the edge of the wonton skin to ‘seal’ it.
• To serve: cut each batagor into 2-3 pieces, plate it and serve it with peanut sauce. If you like, you can add sweet soy sauce, ketchup, chili sauce and a sprinkle of lime juice.