Bawang Goreng

Indonesian shallots sliced to a wafer and fried to a crisp gold, with the flavoured oil kept alongside

Origin: Java, Indonesia

From the journey of Shallot.

There is a tub of these on every table and in every kitchen from Sumatra to Sulawesi, and Indonesian cooking would be recognisably diminished without them. Bawang goreng is nothing but shallots, sliced as thinly as a knife allows and fried slowly in oil until every trace of water has gone and what remains is a brittle, sweet, mahogany crisp. They go over nasi goreng, over soto, over gado-gado, over bubur, over plain rice at a family lunch, and into countless dishes as a final texture. The oil left in the pan afterwards is not discarded: minyak bawang is kept in its own jar and used for dressing noodles and vegetables. The reason a shallot works here and a bulb onion does not is straightforwardly physical. Frying is a drying process, and everything that happens depends on driving the water out before the sugars colour. A shallot carries considerably less water and more sugar than a bulb onion, so it dehydrates quickly and browns evenly. Sliced onion in the same pan releases so much water that it steams, goes limp, and turns leathery rather than crisp. The technique is unforgiving in one specific way: shallots keep cooking after they leave the oil. The residual heat in a hot crisp is enough to carry it two full shades darker, so the pan must come off whilst they are still a paler gold than the colour wanted. Nearly everyone burns their first batch by waiting for the finished colour to appear in the oil. They are sold ready-made everywhere in Indonesia and everyone still says the home-fried ones are better, which happens to be true.

Ingredients

Shallots

  • 400 g shallots, peeled
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 2 tbsp rice flour or cornflour, optional

Frying

  • 500 ml neutral oil, such as groundnut, rapeseed, or coconut

Method

  1. Slice the shallots crossways into rings as thin as you can manage, ideally on a mandoline at about 1.5 mm.
  2. Toss the slices with the salt and leave in a colander for fifteen minutes, then pat them thoroughly dry with a cloth.
  3. Toss the dried slices with the rice flour if using, shaking off any excess.
  4. Put the shallots and the cold oil into a wide pan together and only then set it over a medium-low heat.
  5. Let them bubble gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so they separate and colour evenly.
  6. Watch closely from the moment they turn pale gold. Lift them out with a slotted spoon whilst they are still one shade lighter than you want.
  7. Spread them in a single layer on kitchen paper or a wire rack and leave to cool completely, when they will turn brittle.
  8. Strain the oil into a clean jar and keep it. Store the cooled shallots in an airtight container.

Notes

Four hundred grams of shallots reduces to a surprisingly small quantity of crisps. Make more than seems sensible. They keep for two to three weeks in a properly airtight jar and go soft quickly in a humid kitchen. If they lose their snap, five minutes in a low oven restores them. Asian shallots, small and dense with purple-red skin, give the best result. European round shallots work but carry a little more water and want a few minutes longer. The same method with garlic gives bawang putih goreng, though garlic burns much faster and needs an even lower heat. Use them over fried rice, noodle soups, congee, gado-gado, and salads, and use the oil for dressing anything plain.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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