Perkedel are Indonesia's golden potato patties — mashed potato seasoned with fried shallots, garlic, white pepper, and a whisper of nutmeg, shaped into plump ovals and fried until the outside crisps and the inside stays cloud-soft. The name betrays their colonial ancestry: it's a Malay rendering of the Dutch frikadel, a meat patty that Indonesian cooks reinvented around the potato during the Dutch East Indies era. Today perkedel are everywhere — tucked beside soto ayam, crowning nasi kuning at celebrations, served at Padang restaurants, and fried by the hundred for Ramadan iftar tables. Manado's perkedel jagung swaps in corn, proving the format's endless flexibility. Humble ingredients, but the texture contrast makes them disappear fast.
Serves 12
Separate the eggs, reserving the whites in a shallow bowl. Fold the yolks, minced shallots, garlic, fried onion flakes, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg into the cooled mashed potatoes with a light hand, mixing only until evenly combined — overworking makes the patties gluey.
Make sure the mash is completely cool and on the dry side; warm or wet potato absorbs oil and falls apart in the fryer.
With lightly oiled hands, roll the mixture into golf-ball portions and flatten each into a plump oval about 2cm thick. Keep the surfaces smooth and crack-free — fissures let oil seep in during frying.
Whisk the reserved egg whites until just frothy, dip each patty to coat thinly, and lower into oil at 170°C. Fry 3–4 minutes per batch, turning once, until deep golden with a lacy egg-white crust. Drain on paper towels.
The egg-white dip is the traditional secret — it forms the crisp, slightly ruffled shell that keeps the inside fluffy.
Serve hot or at room temperature as a side to soto, nasi kuning, or rice and sambal. They are at their textural best within the first hour of frying.
For the driest, fluffiest base, fry or steam the potato chunks instead of boiling them — vendors traditionally deep-fry the potato before mashing.
Mix gently and stop early; overworked potato turns gluey and dense.
Dip the patties in beaten egg white before frying for the classic crisp, ruffled crust.
Chill shaped patties 20 minutes if they feel soft — they'll hold together far better in the oil.
A pinch of nutmeg is non-negotiable; it's the quiet signature of the Dutch-Indonesian flavor profile.
Perkedel jagung (Manado): replace potato with a batter of crushed sweet corn, egg, and aromatics.
Perkedel daging: fold in 100g of seasoned cooked ground beef for the heartier old-school version.
Add chopped celery leaves or scallion greens to the mix for freshness.
Perkedel tahu: use mashed pressed tofu instead of potato for a protein-rich vegetarian patty.
Cooked perkedel keep 2 days refrigerated in an airtight container; re-crisp in a 180°C oven or air fryer for 5–6 minutes rather than microwaving, which softens the crust. The shaped, unfried mixture also holds overnight in the fridge.
Perkedel descend from the Dutch frikadel, a fried meat patty introduced during the colonial era; Indonesian cooks gradually replaced scarce meat with potato, keeping the nutmeg and white pepper of Dutch kitchens. The dish embedded itself so deeply that it now appears across the archipelago, from Padang restaurant windows to Manado's famous corn version. It remains standard festive fare for Eid, weddings, and Independence Day feasts.
Almost always overmixing — mashing and stirring too aggressively releases starch and turns the potato gluey. Mix with a fork just until combined. Wet potatoes are the other culprit: steam or fry the chunks rather than boiling, or let boiled potatoes steam-dry thoroughly before mashing.
The mixture is too wet or too warm. Cool the mash fully, make sure no cooking water clings to it, and chill the shaped patties for 20 minutes before frying. The egg-white coating also acts as structural glue — don't skip it. Finally, don't move the patties until the first side has set.
Yes — brush the egg-white-coated patties with oil and bake at 200°C for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway, or air-fry at 190°C for 12–14 minutes. The crust will be drier and less ruffled than the deep-fried original, but the fluffy interior survives intact, and it's far less hands-on for a big batch.
Per serving (90g / 3.2 oz) · 12 servings total
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