Javanese fritters — Indonesia

Javanese fritters are small, deep-fried snacks made from a light batter mixed with vegetables, part of the wide family of fritters called gorengan that are sold across Indonesia at roadside stalls. On Java they are typically built around bean sprouts, shredded cabbage or carrot bound in a rice-and-wheat-flour batter. They are reported from towns and cities across Java, where gorengan stalls set up in the afternoon and evening, frying a mix of fritters and other snacks to order, wrapped in paper for customers to eat on the spot or take away. They are eaten as a snack on their own or alongside other Javanese dishes such as bakso or soto. A batter of rice flour, wheat flour, egg and water is seasoned with garlic, coriander, and sliced scallion, then mixed with bean sprouts and shredded vegetables. Spoonfuls of the mixture are lowered into hot oil and fried until the edges turn crisp and lacy while the vegetables inside stay just tender, then drained on paper before serving. What distinguishes this version from other fritters of the wider family is the light, lacy batter that lets the vegetables show through at the edges, together with the coriander-forward seasoning typical of Javanese cooking. They are usually eaten hot, dipped in a thin, sweet-sour chili sauce or alongside a chili paste.