Indo Rice Balls are a snack and a popular street food that hails from the Netherlands. It’s inspired by a popular Indonesian dish called nasi goreng – fried rice. This snack is known as nasibal, a deep fried breaded ball with a filling of spicy fried rice. It was founded back in the early 1950’s when there was an influx of Dutch people from the former Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. They brought their food customs with them. Then someone in the Netherlands was inspired to use left over fried rice and fuse it with a croquette style snack, better known as bitterbal. When two cultures collide, delicious things happen: the fusion snack was born.
You can personalize the Indo Rice Ball with your own fried rice recipe. If you need inspiration, check this video for my Dad’s Nasi Goreng.
OK, let’s get cookin’!
INGREDIENTS – makes about 48 balls.
6 cups leftover fried rice (nasi goreng)
2.10 oz. butter
2.65 oz. plain flour
2 cups chicken bouillon
6 tbs recap manis
2 tsp sambal oelek, or to taste
5 eggs, beaten
1 lbs panko/bread crumbs
2 oz. plain flour
METHOD
Place nasi goreng in deep bowl.
Stir through ketjap manis and sambal oelek to taste.
To make roux (to bind the mix): melt butter then sieve flour and stir till crumbly.
Add bouillon and whisk for 3 minutes keeping the roux boiling.
Pour roux over nasi goreng and mix thoroughly.
Put mixture in a dish and flatten, leave to cool.
Put in fridge for 3+ hours or leave it overnight to stiffen.
Form into balls. To get even size balls use a thumb press disher 0.75 oz.
Coat the balls lightly with plain flour then put them in egg mixture and
then in bread crumb.
Repeat egg and crumb procedure.
Deep fry in 360F for 2 to 3 minutes. Frozen 4 to 5 minutes.
SERVE
Give the Indo Rice Balls a kick, by serving it with a teaspoon of sambal oelek or any other chili sauce you like.
If you want to know more about Dutch finger foods, read ‘A Dutch Snack Attack’.
©2020jeffkeasberry
