Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Batagor & Siomay

This is one of my favorite street food called Batagor Siomay. It's original a dish from Bandung (the capital city of West Java). Some people will consider it as a real meal for lunch but for some other people, it might be just a snack during late afternoon.

tukang batagor

The cart of Batagor & Siomay

Batagor being fried in hot oil.

Goreng batagor


The ingredients to make Batagor and Siomay are the same which are Spanish/spotted mackerel fish, tapioca flour, egg, spring onions, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper. In another word, it's the same ingredients as to make fish cake but the composition is a bit different because Batagor Siomay has much softer texture.

The difference between Batagor and siomay: Batagor is being fried and Siomay is being steamed.

I like Batagor for its crunchiness and Siomay for soft, tender and chewiness texture (and of course, not forgetting to mention about the less calories *wink*).

The dressing is peanut sauce with red chili and kaffir lime juice. It's always so nice to smell the wonderful fragrance from the kaffir lime. The final touch to serve the Batagor Siomay is sweet soy sauce on the top of the peanut sauce and chili sauce at the side.

Siomay
(steamed fish cake, tofu with fish cake filling, cabbage with fish cake filling, potato)

Batagor
(fried fish cake, wonton with fish cake filling, tofu with fish cake filling)

Fried Wonton


Take - out

Batagor on the plate.

It might not look really appetizing for some people, but seriously, don't let the look deceive you coz' it's so yummy! You just need to give it a try ;)

71 comments:

  1. Given a chance i would like to try the Botago for it's crispiness.

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  2. Ah, I agree - must try it to believe it... I love siomay! (And our version of it: siew mai)

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  3. foodbin: The batagor is a great choice ;)

    LFB: Hehehe.. true, gotta try it! Siew mai is made from pork, rite?

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  4. I would love to try either of them. These are foods we just don't have here in Oregon.

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  5. mary: I wish I have a good recipe to make batagor siomay that I can share to you.

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  6. this is like the Indonesian version of dim sum. and it has an interesting dressing as well. i'll wanna try this if i visit Indonesia! :D

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  7. Is siomay siew mai? A little confused coz it doesn't really look like siew mai... Nevertheless it looks delicious, but don't think it's enough to feed me as a real meal. :)

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  8. nic: Hehehe... I didn't realize it until you mentioned it :) Come.. come... visit Indonesia!

    sugar bean: Siomay is actually the Indonesian version of siew mai :) Definitely need 2 plates!!! Hehehe...

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  9. botago looks good....is it available in most part of Indonesia?

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  10. simple girl: Uhmmm... I'm not so sure whether you can find Batagor in Sumatra or Bali or other provices but I believe it's easy to find it around Java especially in West Java :)

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  11. Looks great! Mmm. The peanut sauce sounds so yummy!

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  12. its like a mix between "yong tau fu" and dim sum & malay rojak!!

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  13. I learn so much on your culture. I've never heard of Batagor & Siomay but would eat this. I love to try new food from different countries. :)

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  14. This is my fav food, so delish with peanut sauce..
    huhuhu..drooling~ can't stand to eat this.

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  15. Even the fried wontons looks great!I'd definitely eat this, but it looks like more than just a late afternoon snack!

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  16. the ungourmet: Yes, love the peanut sauce with kaffir lime juice :)

    TNG: Hahaha.... is it? :D

    helene: I'm glad to share the Indonesian local food :)

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  17. nath: Hi Nath, thanks for stopping by my blog :) Hope to see you around.

    monica h: The wonton skin is very cripy, you'll love it ;)

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  18. Makes a very good snack for...hope get the chance to try it.

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  19. ck lam: Hopefully, you will visit Indonesia someday ;)

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  20. My favourite food in Malaysia, very healthy.

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  21. I love the crunchy little goodies with the exotic sounding names. I would give both a try and probably like each one in their own way.
    I learn so much about your food and culture each time I visit. I always look forward to what you'll do next.
    Sam

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  22. The fried and steamed versions look awesome to me!

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  23. worldwindows: Wow! There’s batagor in Malaysia? Do people eat siew mai with peanut sauce in Malaysia?

    Lesley: Give it a try and I believe you’ll like it ;)

    MCK: Sam, you words really encourage me to show more of the Indonesian local food, thanks :)

    mica: Hehehe… and yummy!

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  24. Siomay? hahaha ... sounds like Siew Mai, a type of dimsum.

    the peanut sauce plus Batagor, like our very own pasembor lah. with fish cakes.

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  25. j2kfm: Yes, sounds exactly like siew mai... :) Ah, interesting to learn about pasembor.

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  26. wah this is truly indonesia food.
    so far I never seen in my country....

    it must be finger lickin good

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  27. I'm loving all the street foods you have access to ther! Thanks for sharing them with us. I don't know why there's no good street-food-culture in Canada... nothing more than a few hotdog carts. Sad, because I think some of the tastiest dishes around found in these scrappy little snack-bars-on-wheels!

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  28. This is my kind of food! Especially the wonton (probably wantan here)! =D

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  29. Siowmay has wanton skin deepfried, dim sum on the road! roadside stalls are interesting.

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  30. you cant scare me I would plow into that like a freight train...

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  31. I love fried food. They really do look like sieu mai. Yum!

    Jackie @ PhamFatale.coom

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  32. pisang goreng: Some M’sian bloggers said that there’s also same version in Malayasia for Batagor which they called it as pasembor.

    marta: I’m so glad to share the local Indonesian street food, Marta :) Yes, you are so right, I also sometimes don’t understand why street food can be tastier, hehehe

    bangsar-babe: *hi 5* Here in Indonesia, we called it “Pangsit”

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  33. jencooks: Hehehe… yup!

    pearl: Interesting, isn’t it? ;)

    doggybloggy: Woohoo.. that's great! Hehehe…

    talat: Hi Talat, thanks for stopping by my blog :) It does look like siew mai, ya?

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  34. A lot of street food can be found at your place.

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  35. "begitu enak sekali!"

    Street food in your place is really interesting , in fact so full of culture and with great ambience

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  36. little inbox: Yes, heaps of street food. You’ll never be hungry ;)

    BBO: Hehehe… Yup, even as for a local, I also find it interesting :)

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  37. I always learn of new fun foods on your blog! This looks very interesting and yummy!

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  38. 5 star foodie: So happy to know that people are learning something new from my blog :)

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  39. It looks appetizing to me, actually everything looks good! I love reading about treats I haven't heard of before on your blog!

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  40. kerstin: Great that you find it appetizing, because when you try it, you always want for more ;)

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  41. Reading and seeing that has made me hungry! Another great post!!

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  42. sophie: It would great if we can go out to do gastronic tour together, so I could show you around the local Indonesian food :)

    jan: Thank you, Jan :)

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  43. Such street food has almost (or should I say...All) disappeared in SG!

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  44. tigerfish: Ah.. too bad if it totally disappeared from SG but then probably the competition between the street food and hawker centres are to high.

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  45. The Siomay is so lovely... I am drooling and I love Siomay so much! Hope I can have this at Indonesia with you one day! *wink*

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  46. bits of taste: *hi 5* Just let me know when you are coming to Jakarta then we can go for siomay hunting together ;)

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  47. mmm--I love fried food ;)

    Both of these look good--and the sauces! Nice.

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  48. I love street food. Somehow or other it taste better and you get to absorb the ambience of everything around you.

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  49. I don't know but I think I'll like it too when I'll try. Well, I also don't know when, but the day will be come.

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  50. You can never go wrong with fried food! I cook with kaffir lime leaves regularly, but I don't think I've had the juice before.

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  51. All of it looks really wonderful - I'd love to travel to you part of the world and get a taste!

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  52. tavolini: Hehehe… I bet you’ll love this dish :D

    jo: Yes, so true! It’s just different than eating in a restaurant or at home :)

    talita: Hopefully someday! I’m crossing fingers for you, Talita :)

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  53. sara: The aroma from kaffir lime leaves and juice is quite different. It’s very nice and refreshing :)

    Kristen: I would be happy to be your “tour guide” when visit Jakarta :)

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  54. marybeth: yessss.... so yummy!!! :D

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  55. This looks good. I love street foods also...gimme!

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  56. peachkins: Hello peachkins, thanks for stopping by my blog :)

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  57. Yikes, that whole spread looks great! I would try it, and probably love it too...I love it when you teach us this stuff about foods you enjoy!

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  58. chef E: Thank you, Chef E! Glad to share my favorite local food with you all :)

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  59. So much food! Looks great really. I would like to try the siomay someday as it isn't fried and has less calories :).

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  60. ETE: Hehehe... trying to eat healty, ya? :)

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  61. Am vegetarian, but I can tell that really looks good.

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  62. ya, i believe it taste really nice too!

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  63. laveena: Oh.. you actually can eat the tofu, bitter gourd and cabbage with the peanut sauce :)

    sakaigirl: Yes, indeed :D

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  64. It looks and sound like our 'Yung Taufu'or stuffed tofu. But yung taufu uses mince meat as alternative stuffing.

    Sauce wise, we use a sweet sauce or 'Thim Cheong' in Cantonese, chili sauce or just plain with soup stock.

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  65. jason wong: Yung taufu? We have that kind of Chinese food too, in fact my mom used to make it. Ah, it's time to ask her to make it again :)

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  66. I had the chance to eat batagor siomay when I was in Bandung 2 years back on a uni field trip. I have to say that it really is very yummy! =) I wish I could eat it again.

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  67. next time you should try Pempek., :)

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  68. ekoy: Totally agreed that batagor siomay is very yummy :)

    katheleen: I already posted about Pempek: http://selbyfood.blogspot.com/2001/02/pondok-sanjaya-pempek-fish-cake.html

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