Pempek Adaan & Saus Cuko - Chicken and Shrimp Balls & Spicy Tamarind Sauce

Method8 steps · about 1 hr 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Bring the sauce’s 1 litre water, minced 8–10 garlic cloves, sliced 10–15 bird-eye chillies, 50 g tamarind and 200 g coconut palm sugar to a boil. Turn off heat once sugar melts. Leave this sauce to steep while making the meatballs; strain it just before serving.

   Uses 8-10 cloves garlic, minced · 10-15 bird-eye chilies (Indonesian: cabe rawit), thinly sliced · 200 gram coconut palm sugar (Indonesian: gula Jawa) · 50 gram tamarind (Indonesian: asam Jawa) · 1 liter (4 cup) water

2. 2

   Step 2: Combine the 500 g ground chicken, 250 g ground shrimp, 100 g shallot ground to a fine paste, 1 tbsp salt, the meatballs’ separate 1 tbsp sugar, three lightly beaten eggs and 100 ml canned coconut milk into an even mixture.

   Uses 500 gram ground chicken · 250 gram ground shrimp · 1 tablespoon salt · 1 tablespoon sugar · 100 gram shallots (Indonesian: bawang merah), grind into a fine paste · 3 eggs, lightly beaten · 100 ml coconut milk, from canned coconut milk

3. 3

   Step 3: Add tapioca flour and use a spatula to gently fold into the ground chicken and shrimp mixture until uniform. TIPS: Sometimes, there is no need to add the whole 500 gram of tapioca flour to create the meatball mixture. I start with about 2⁄3 of the tapioca flour, then only add as much as needed until the mixture reaches a meatball-like mixture consistency.

   Uses seasoned chicken-shrimp-egg meatball mixture · Up to 500 g tapioca starch, beginning with about two-thirds

4. 4

   Step 4: Cover the meatball mixture and keep it in the refrigerator while the frying oil heats. If making the source’s next-day route instead, refrigerate it covered overnight before frying.

   Uses workable tapioca-bound chicken-shrimp mixture

5. 5

   Step 5: Heat about 3 inches of deep-frying oil in a suitable pot over medium heat to 170°C/340°F. Use an oil thermometer and keep the pot stable with room above the oil.

   Uses Oil for deep-frying meatballs (quantity unspecified)

6. 6

   Step 6: Take out the mixture needed for each batch. Carefully lower tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry without crowding, maintaining oil temperature, until golden and the centre reaches 74°C/165°F. Use a scoop if helpful.

   Uses refrigerated chicken-shrimp meatball mixture · heated deep-frying oil

7. 7

   Step 7: Drain meatballs: Remove fried meatballs from the hot oil with a slotted spoon or a strainer ladle. Place them on a stainless steel strainer over a mixing bowl to drain off excess oil so they will remain crispy.

   Uses golden fully cooked chicken-shrimp meatballs

8. 8

   Step 8: Halve or quarter the drained cooked meatballs into serving bowls. Strain the reserved cuko and pour it over the pempek just before serving to retain crispness. Optionally add the already-boiled noodle portions and sliced cucumber (1).

   Uses drained cooked pempek meatballs · steeped cuko, strained just before serving · 8 servings cooked egg noodles, OR vermicelli/rice noodles/ramen · 1 cucumber, thinly sliced