Perkedel with sweet potato and mint
Perkedel is Indonesian for frikadel and it refers to spiced meatballs. This frikadel (not to be confused with the Dutch frikandel, which was invented in 1954) were probably brought to Indonesia by the Dutch.
But even then it was not an original Dutch recipe. A short online study shows that this frikadel is a Northern European way of making meatballs. The frikadel has existed for centuries. In the 16th century the word is already used for a spiced meatball.
Perkedel
Back to our Indonesian perkedel. These meatballs are seasoned with lots of nutmeg and garlic. I sauté the perkedel just like ordinary Dutch meatballs in a bit of butter. But they are smaller and instead of breadcrumbs, a potato goes through the minced meat.
I’ve made the original recipe for perkedel already on this blog, but today I give the recipe a twist. I like to make my perkedel today with sweet potato and fresh mint. That makes them slightly different, fresh and ofcourse sweet.
This recipe is enough for at least 3 people and is ready in 45 minutes.
Ingredients
500 grams half to half minced
1 big sweet potato
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 spring onions
1 egg
3-4 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
3 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce
sesame seeds
butter
Preparation
Peel the potato, cut into rough pieces and cook until done.
Finely chop the onions, spring onions and garlic. Mix the potatoes, onions, and garlic with the minced meat and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Don’t be stingy with the nutmeg. Nutmeg gives this dish that specific perkedel flavor.
You can first puree the potato and then mix it through the meat or scoop through coarse pieces. The balls will look robust and bold. This way every bite is different and it looks nice too.
Add the egg and 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce through the meat. I like Ketjap Manis A or Ketjap Manis ABC the best.
Do not overwork the meat, otherwise, the balls become too dense in texture.
Shape the balls the size of a ping-pong ball and sauté in butter on low heat until they are done (about 15 minutes).
Before serving, sprinkle some sesame seeds over them and garnish with some mint.
Selamat Makan!
