Crispy Shrimp Fritters (Bakwan Udang)

Bakwan is one of the classic fried snacks in Indonesia, besides perkedel kentang. I would say it is as classic as French Fries in the United States. Just like French fries, you can munch this type of fritters (or known as Bakwan in Indonesia) when you watch TV as snack, or as an appetizer, or just another dish to complete your lunch or dinner. Bakwan udang or shrimp fritters is the most common one and the easiest one that you can find in Indonesia. From street vendors to high-class restaurant, you certainly cannot miss it.

As far as the taste goes, Bakwan udang (shrimp fritters) is savory with a little sweetness from the vegetable and shrimp. It’s also super crispy on the outside, however, Bakwan should be very moist in the inside, especially in the thicker version of Bakwan. It is usual to find people cook their version of Bakwan udang without peeling the shrimp’s shell. It gives more crunch to it once the Bakwan is being fried. However, it will be hard to digest to the little ones, so I made mine without the shrimp’s shell.

Tip: When frying Bakwan (fritters), pour the mixture when the oil is really hot. Also, try to balance out the number of shrimps to each Bakwan. For vegetarian, you can skip the shrimps in the fritters.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb medium-sized shrimp – cleaned and deveined
• 1 medium carrot – julienned
• ½ whole cabbage – shredded into small pieces
• 1 stalk scallion – chopped
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons rice flour
• 120 ml water
• A pinch of salt and pepper
• Olive oil (to fry)
• Several Thai chili as condiments (optional)

Directions:

• Separate the white egg from its yolk. For this recipe, we are just going to use the white eggs.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix white egg, all-purpose flour, rice flour, water, salt and pepper. Mix them well.
• Then, add carrot, cabbage, scallion, and shrimp. Mix them well.
• Heat up olive oil in a deep skillet under medium-heat.
• Once heated, place about one tablespoon of the mixture to the skillet and fry for about 3-5 minutes. Then, flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes on the other sides until it is a bit browned.
• Drain the excess oil and set aside. Repeat until all the mixtures are all fried.
• Enjoy!