Kroket, also known as kroket kentang isi ayam (which literally means “potato croquettes stuffed with chicken”), is a traditional Indonesian appetizer very popular among the street food trucks.
These small snacks can be filled with chicken and even with beef (being chicken the most popular version) and they are often served with peanut sauce. They were introduced in Indonesia during the Dutch colonization, and they’ve maintained their popularity until today.
What is the origin of kroket ?
The word kroket comes from the Dutch kroketten, which actually comes from the French croquette. This way of writing the word is quite recent given that until the seventeenth century, they were still called croquet.
The oldest known reference of the word croquet appeared in 1960 in the Dictionnaire Furetière, in which the reference to cookies based on gingerbread that were so hard they cracked when bitten, appeared. That’s how the name was derived from the French verb “croquer” that’s used to mention the “crack” when biting food.
It was in 1705 that the first version of croquettes appeared and it was very similar to what’s known today. It happened in the book “Le Cuisiner Roïal et Bourgeois de François Massialot”, King Louis XIV’s chef.
This original version was very much like rissoles, another type of fried croquette that could be stuffed with beef, cheese, fish and other ingredients. In Indonesia, they also have their variant called risole, which tends to be filled also with béchamel sauce, covered with a batter quite similar to the one for crepes before they are fried.
Regarding the Dutch version, it’s believed to have appeared around 1830, although their first written reference was from King Willem van Oranje-Nassau’s chef in his appendix of the book “Moderne Kochkunst” by Maria Haezebroeck, in 1851.
Even if they were traditionally perceived as “elite food”, with time, kroketten turned more and more into “people’s food”, given that they were very easy to make with leftovers from the previous night.
In Holland, krokets are usually filled with beef ragu and different vegetables. Their popularity is so high that they can even be found frozen at supermarkets or even McDonald’s regional version, McKroket.
Dutch influence and Indian-Dutch cuisine
The Dutch arrived in Indonesia in the sixteenth century looking for spices. In 1800, when the Dutch East India Company got to the most critical point and went bankrupt, Indonesia started being considered a treasure to the Netherlands.
Through colonization, the conquistadors introduced food to that “new” territory that was basic to them such as butter, bread, margarine, ham sandwiches, pancakes, poffertjes, among others. Thus, traditional customs started to mix.
Plenty of aristocrats and well-educated citizens (all native) began to get more involved in European cuisine, which was considered to be high class for the Dutch East Indies society (name that received the colony which turned into Indonesia later).
That’s how traditions started to blend more and more with European cuisine, turning slowly into a fusion with Indonesian food. Many dishes created during the Colonial times were strongly influenced by Dutch cuisine.
Some of these examples are roti bakar (or grilled bread), macaroni schotel (macaroni pie), bistik jawa (javanese filet), or erten (pea soup). Many desserts have also resulted from the Dutch East Indies fusion, using native ingredients and European pastry methods, such as pandanus cake and klappertaart (coconut pie).
Of course, as Dutch cuisine influenced the Indonesian, Indonesian deposited a part of its legacy into the Dutch one through their shared colonial heritage.
Croquettes around the world
Since croquettes are a dish so versatile and simple (both to prepare and eat), it’s logical that many variables will exist across the world.
Even if each country has its own version (or at least its own name), there are some places in which the variation of these little snacks stands out particularly.
- In Spain, croquettes are traditionally stuffed with chicken or ham and are considered tapas.
- In Cuba they can also be filled with chicken, ham or beef, and even the three combined.
- In Brazil, they are generally stuffed with beef and are commercialized as a “German dish”.
- In Mexico, croquettes are filled with tuna and potatoes.
- In the Czech Republic, where they are called kroketz, they are also filled with potatoes and eggs.
- In India, croquettes are called aloo tikki and are filled with potatoes and, sometimes, even beef.
- In Japan, korokke are sort of croquette’s cousins, being small fried patties, made basically with potatoes, onions and carrots. They are usually served with tonkatsu sauce.
Kroket Kentang Isi Ayam
Ingredients
For the potato dough
- 3 lb potatoes , peeled and finely diced
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 5¼ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion , finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic , chopped
- 8 oz. chicken thighs (or breast), finely diced
- 8 oz. carrots , finely diced
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 scallions , finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons water
For frying
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons water
- 10 oz breadcrumbs (more or less)
- Neutral vegetable oil (for frying and more for oiling hands)
Equipment
- Kitchen thermometer
- Potato masher
Instructions
Filling
- It is recommended to prepare the stuffing the day before.
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium / low heat.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium / high heat, stirring constantly, until tender and fragrant.
- Add the chicken, mix well and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the coconut milk, carrots, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
- Cook for about 30 minutes over medium / low heat, until the carrots are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Add the spring onions and mix.
- To thicken the stuffing, combine the flour and water in a bowl and whisk, then pour the mixture into the pot, stir and cook until the stuffing thickens.
- Let it cool completely before using or before storing it in the refrigerator if it is prepared the day before.
Potato dough
- Steam the potatoes for 20 minutes or until they can be easily mashed.
- Using a potato masher, smooth the mashed potatoes while still piping hot.
- Preheat a large, non-stick coated Dutch oven. Add milk and butter and bring to a boil. Add the pepper, nutmeg and salt. Stir.
- Add the flour and stir vigorously until a dough forms. Remove from the heat and add this paste to the mashed potatoes and stir vigorously to combine the two.
Shaping
- Lightly oil the palms of both hands.
- Divide the potato dough into balls of about 40 grams each and cover them to prevent them from drying out.
- The dough should be easy to work with and fairly flexible.
- Lightly flatten each ball of dough to form a circle. Place about 1/2 tablespoon of the stuffing in the middle of the circle, then bring the two sides together to enclose the stuffing.
- Give an oval shape.
- Gradually place the krokets on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Frying
- Whisk the flour and water in a deep dish.
- Dip each kroket in this flour mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs. Repeat the process with everything else.
- Place the kroket in the freezer for at least 90 minutes before frying.
- Preheat a large quantity of oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat and bring it to 350 F (170°C), a temperature which should be maintained throughout the frying time.
- Fry about 4 to 5 kroket at a time, until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove the kroket from the oil with a large slotted spoon and drain on paper towels or a cooling rack and enjoy hot or warm, as is or with bird's eye peppers.
Video
Sources
Wikipedia (EN) – Indonesian Croquette
Wikipedia (EN) – Indonesian Cuisine
Wikipedia (ID) – Kroket
I am Expat
Holland at Home
Wikipedia (DE) – Kroketten
Wikipedia (EN) – Rissole
Hands Doing Things is the brainchild of Sabri and Bian, who combined their passion for food with their professional careers of writing & photography, and filmmaking.
Lula C says
Such an interesting history – and these look delicious! I will for sure make them at home.
Nicole Rossetti le Strange says
Thank you, Lula – so glad you enjoyed the article. Do let us know hpw the recipe turns out, won’t you?!
Ciana says
These potato croquettes stuffed with chicken are really good. Good as snacks or as main course too.