← Nouns Cooking · Indonesian & Filipino

Ingredients

• 600 g waxy or all-round potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• oil, for frying (plus 3 tbsp for the sambal)
• 6 Red chilli, roughly chopped
• 2 bird's eye chillies (optional)
• 4 Shallot, peeled
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 cm piece Galangal (optional)
• 4 Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, torn
• 1 tsp Sugar
• ¾ tsp Salt

Method

1. Rinse the potato cubes and dry them very well on a tea towel.
2. Heat 3 cm of oil in a wok to 170°C (340°F) and fry the potatoes in batches for 8–10 min until golden and crisp outside. Drain. (Or toss with 2 tbsp oil and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 30–35 min.)
3. Pulse the chillies, shallots, garlic and galangal (if using) into a coarse paste.
4. Pour off all but 3 tbsp oil from the wok. Fry the paste with the lime leaves over medium heat for 6–8 min until it darkens and the oil separates. Stir in the sugar and salt.
5. Add the potatoes and toss for 1–2 min until every piece is coated. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Cutting the potatoes into thin matchsticks and frying until very crisp gives you kentang mustofa, a crunchy version that keeps for days.
• Never leave hot oil unattended; let it cool completely before discarding.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Cook Me Indonesian Daily Cooking Quest