Crab chips
The crab chip (also written Krupuk or Dutch Kroepoek and spoken Krupuk , crab bread , crab biscuit or bratchip ) is a disc-shaped food: an Indonesian cracker made from tapioca flour , salt, ground shrimp and spices .
The chips are sold in thin, translucent slices a few centimeters in diameter, which are then fried in boiling oil in just a few seconds. In doing so, their volume increases many times over. They are also available ready-to-eat in plastic bags and bite-sized portions, mildly or with a bit more spicy flavor.
Imported crab chips come mainly from Indonesia, where shrimp are raised in fish ponds, especially in the Madura area.
preparation
Raw krupuk
The prawns are boiled and then peeled. Then you add a little salt and mash it into a fine mass, which is processed into a dough with tapioca flour. This is used to bake large loaves of bread and steam them through. Then they are dried. The dried bread is machine cut into very thin slices and dried again. They are now starting to become brittle and must therefore be packed carefully.
Depending on the shape of these breads, there are different types of krupuk.
The color of the krupuks does not indicate the quality, but the following applies: the thinner the slices are cut, the better they can be baked. However, they are then also more fragile.
Bake before use
The slices must be absolutely dry for baking. For this one can do the breaking test: if the raw Krupuk slice breaks like glass, it is dry; if you can bend it, it is still damp and must be dried further. Moist krupuk bakes poorly and is tough after baking.
Good salad oil should be used for baking, which can then be used for other baking purposes. Fat is not beneficial as it deposits a fine layer on the krupuk that affects the taste.
Krupuk are best baked in a wok-like pan. You use plenty of oil, as the krupuk should float in the pan. If the oil is well heated, you can throw a small piece of krupuk into the oil as a test. It will sink to the bottom and come back to the surface in a few moments. If it swells to double its size there, the temperature is right.
Now you can gradually add the krupuk pieces to the pan. Excessive curling of the slices can be prevented by pressing them down with a slotted spoon. As soon as the cuts come to the top, they are skimmed off and drained in a colander. Do not bake the slices until they turn brown, as they will then take on a bitter taste. A golden yellow krupuk of a crumbly consistency is fine.
Vegetarian krupuk
For vegetarians , vegetarian krupuk are also made from tapioca flour, carrots, tofu and spices in Vietnam and Thailand . These chips are available in a few Asian shops in Europe , otherwise vegetarians can use the rice chips, which only consist of rice and water. There is also a snack variant from Indonesia with manioc, cassava crackers, which are similar in texture and appearance to the crab chips. They are also sold as dried flakes for self-frying, but unlike the white or brightly colored Krupuk, they are orange to medium brown. When deep-frying, you should choose a slightly lower temperature and deep-fry a little longer than the krupuk, the color of the finished slices should be very light, almost white. Another type is Kriepiek, which is made from the acorn-like fruits of the Melindjo tree, which are peeled, cooked and then roasted a little before being pressed into small thin plates. Squeeze several fruit plates together to make the characteristic larger slices.
A similar dish is the Indian papadam . These crispy, round flatbreads are also deep-fried, but they are thinner and hotter.
species
- Udang Mas
- Go tan
- Emping Belinjo (Melindjo), also called Kriepiek, a pure plant product
