Course snack Region or state Jakarta | Place of origin Indonesia Serving temperature hot | |
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Main ingredients Spicy omelette of duck or chicken egg mixed with glutinous rice sprinkled with serundeng coconut granules and fried shallots Similar Tauge goreng, Asinan, Serabi, Roti buaya, Nasi ulam | ||
Kerak telor (English: Egg crust) is a Betawi traditional spicy omelette dish in Indonesian cuisine. It is made from glutinous rice cooked with egg and served with serundeng (fried shredded coconut), fried shallots and dried shrimp as topping. It is considered as a snack and not as a main dish. The vendors of kerak telor are easily the most ubiquitous during annual Jakarta Fair and it has also become a must-have menu item for visitors at the event.
Contents
Ingredients and method
Each of the portion is made by order. The kerak telor vendor puts a small amount of ketan (English: sticky rice) on a small wok pan and heats it on the charcoal fire. Add an egg (chicken or duck, but duck eggs are considered more delicious), and add some spices and mix it. The dish is fried on a wok without any cooking oil so the omelette will stick on the wok and enable to put it upside down straight against charcoal fire until it is cooked. The spicy serundeng (sweet grated coconut granule) with ebi (dried salted shrimp) and fried shallots are sprinkled upon the omelette.
History
In the Colonial era, kerak telor was a privileged food and was served in big parties for colonial government or rich Betawi. According to gastronomy expert Suryatini N. Ganie, kerak telor was created in order to make glutinous rice more tasty and satisfying. In modern day, kerak telor vendors no longer dominated by native Jakartans, some of them come from Padang, Tegal, Garut and Cimahi.
