Recipe
Pergedel jagung
Check dates to cook this with Chef Wayan in Petulu.
IDR 450.000per guest, shared class
Balinese corn fritters: whole kernels bound with egg and a little flour, seasoned with fried base genep, then shallow-fried.
By Chef Wayan Suryana, Warung Tumang BaliLast updated First published
Serves 12 small fritters·Prep 20 minutes·Cook 15 minutes
Pergedel jagung in short
Pergedel jagung are Balinese corn fritters. Mix corn kernels with fried base genep, egg, shallot, chili, a little rice flour, palm sugar, and salt, then shallow-fry spoonfuls in coconut oil until deep gold on both sides. Drain on a rack and eat the same day.
In good pergedel jagung the kernels stay whole enough to bite. Egg and a little flour hold them; fried base genep makes them Balinese.
Use corn cut from the cob when the market has it. Canned kernels work once they are drained and patted dry. Wet corn spits in the oil and never crisps.
Pergedel jagung ingredients
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 cobs), or drained canned corn, well dried
- 2 tablespoons fried base genep
- 1 egg
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 1 bird’s eye chili, sliced
- 2 tablespoons rice flour or plain flour
- 1 teaspoon chopped palm sugar
- Salt
- Coconut oil, for shallow frying
How to make pergedel jagung
- Mix the corn, fried base genep, egg, shallot, chili, flour, palm sugar, and salt. The batter should cling to the kernels. If it puddles, add a little more flour, not more egg.
- Heat a shallow layer of coconut oil in a wok until a drop of batter sizzles at once.
- Spoon in heaped tablespoons, leaving space. Fry until the underside is deep gold, then turn. Crowded fritters steam.
- Drain on a rack, not a heap of paper, so the edges stay crisp. Eat the same day with rice and sambal. They soften if they sit covered.
On a class morning the corn is bought with the chilies. The fritters come out of the wok while the rice finishes, and they sit on the same plate as sayur urap.
Pergedel jagung questions
- Can I use canned corn?
- Yes, once it is drained and patted dry. Fresh corn cut from the cob is better. Wet corn spits in the oil and never crisps.
- Why do my corn fritters fall apart?
- The batter is too loose. Add a little more flour, not more egg, until the batter clings to the kernels.
- How do I keep pergedel jagung crisp?
- Do not crowd the wok, and drain the fritters on a rack rather than piled on paper. They soften if they sit covered.
Cook next from the same kitchen
- Base genepHow to make base genep (bumbu Bali): pound shallot, garlic, roots, and candlenut, then fry 8–10 minutes until the raw smell is gone. From a Petulu kitchen.
- Sayur urapHow to make Balinese sayur urap: long beans, spinach, cabbage, and sprouts tossed with grated coconut, garlic, chili, and lime leaf. Vegan, about 30 minutes.
- Kare ayamHow to make Balinese kare ayam: bone-in chicken simmered in fried base genep, coconut milk, lemongrass, and lime leaf. No curry powder, about an hour.
Plan the food day around this dish
- The Ubud morning market, before the heatWhen to walk a working Ubud morning market: just after dawn, chili and coconut still piled, then leave. How the Petulu class uses those stalls, not souvenirs.
- A half-day food itinerary from central UbudA half-day Ubud food plan: dawn market, Petulu rice-field walk, kitchen lunch by 12:30pm. One village kitchen in Bali 80571, not a 48-hour restaurant list.