The Best of Malaysian Food (Keropok Lekor)

Keropok Lekor

Keropok are deep fried crackers made from starch and other ingredients that usually give the taste. In Malaysia, Keropok are usually made by grinding fish, prawns, squid or vegetables into a paste, mixing with sago and then deep-frying it. It comes in three main forms: keropok lekor which is long and chewy, keropok losong (steamed) and keropok keping which is thin and crispy. It is frequently served with dipping sauces.

Prawn based Keropok are the most widely available in the west, and are white or light brown in colour. Despite the high amount of shrimps used, any shrimp taste is usually quite subtle. Perhaps the most common form is the Indonesian Keropok udang, made with dried shrimp and hence a light shade of pink.

In Chinese cuisine, prawn crackers may use food coloring (including shades of white, pale pink, green and blue), and tend to be lighter and non-spicy. Prawn crackers are a traditional complementary side dish and may accompany takeaway Chinese food in Australia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Shrimp chips are usually served with roasted chicken dishes in Chinese restaurants.

Preparation

Keropok are made by mixing prawns, tapioca flour and water. The mixture is rolled out, steamed, sliced and sun dried. Once dry, they are deep-fried in oil (which must be at high heat before cooking). In only a few seconds they expand from thumb-sized semi-transparent chips to white fluffy crackers, much like popcorn, as water bound to the starch expands as it turns into steam. If left in the open air for more than a few hours (depending on humidity), they start to soften and become chewy and therefore are ideally consumed within a few hours of being fried. Storing the crackers in a low humidity environment or an airtight container will preserve the crispness. Packets of unfried prawn crackers may be purchased in oriental stores, or stores that specialise in Asian cuisine. In the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, France, Australia and the United Kingdom they are also widely available in general supermarkets.

Most varieties of Keropok can also be prepared in a microwave oven, in which a few discs can be cooked in less than a minute. This will usually cause them to cook and expand in a way similar to when they are deep fried. For small quantities, this method is less messy, faster and healthier, as the krupuk do not become as oily. However, this may cause the krupuk to retain a stronger aroma of raw shrimp which may not necessarily be pleasant.

Ingredients:

1 cup of fish fillet

1 cup of cassava/tapioca flour

1 cup of cold water

Salt to taste

Cassava /tapioca flour to roll the dough

Water for boiling

Oil for frying

Blend fish fillet, flour and water together to a dough.

Place a little flour on your hands and take a little dough.

Roll it in your palms and put it in the boiling water.

When the dough starts floating, it means that it's ready to be scooped out of the pot.

Let it cool and heat oil to fry. Fry for about 5 minutes or till the edges become crispy.

Serve hot with sweet chili sauce.