 Batagor, as served in an upper-class hotel. | |
| Course | Snack |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | West Java |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Fried fish dumpling with tofu and vegetables inpeanut sauce |
| Variations | Siomay,shumai |
Batagor (abbreviated fromBaso Tahu Goréng, "friedbakso [and]tofu") is aSundanese dish fromIndonesia, and popular inSoutheast Asia, consisting of fried fishdumplings, usually served withpeanut sauce.[1] It is traditionally made from mincedtenggiri (Spanish mackerel), although other types of seafood such astuna,mackerel, andprawn may also be used. The fish paste is subsequently stuffed intowonton skins or filled into tofu, and thendeep-fried inpalm oil.[1]
Street-side batagor fried dumplings are usually served with friedtofu and finger-shaped friedotak-otak fish cakes. These batagor components are cut into bite-size pieces and topped withpeanut sauce,kecap manis (sweet soy sauce),sambal (chili paste), and lime juice. As a fried food, batagor generally has a crispy and crunchy texture.[2] Since their serving methods are identical, batagor andsiomay are often sold by the same vendor, with batagor being offered as a crispy variation of siomay.[3]
Batagor is ubiquitous in Indonesian cities and can be found in street-side food stalls, travelling carts, bicycle vendors, and restaurants. However, it is most strongly associated with theWest Java city ofBandung.[4] The dish is influenced byChinese Indonesian cuisine,[4] and might be derived fromsiomay, with the main difference being that batagor is fried instead of steamed. It has been readily adapted into localSundanese cuisine, and today, most batagor sellers areSundanese.
Batagor began appearing in various Indonesian cities throughout the country in the 1980s and was first made in 1968 inBandung by a migrant fromPurwokerto named Haji Isan. Thus, it is said that the origin of batagor is a modification of an extinct fried food fromPurwokerto. Batagor is characterized like otherPurwokerto specialties which are mostly fried and served with peanut sauce, such as kampel (fried ketupat).[5] According to legend, batagor was created as a way to salvage unsoldbakso meatballs. It is said that one day thebakso did not sell well, and a seller was stuck with too many leftovers. To cut his losses, he then came up with the idea to grind the meatballs, stuff them into tofu, deep fry them, and serve them with peanut sauce in a fashion similar tosiomay orngo hiang. This created a new dish ofbakso tahu goreng ("fried bakso [and] tofu"), abbreviated as "batagor".[5][6]
Batagor is traditionally served withpeanut sauce, although in Bandung, most batagor sellers also offer a variation served in clearbroth known asbatagor kuah ("batagor soup").[7] The soup consists of a clear chicken broth with the addition of various ingredients such as pepper, sugar, salt, leek, and celery. Chili sauce, tomato sauce, and lime can also be added to add more flavor to the soup.[8]
Batagor is popular for its savory flavor, crispy texture of its deep-fried wonton skin and tofu, and sweet and savoury peanut sauce. As of 2018, batagor is often sold at around 10,000Indonesian rupiahs per portion at modest street-side vendors.[9]
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