Crispy Indonesian Risoles

Step 1

Place potato cubes in a pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer until a fork slides through easily, about 12 minutes.

Step 2

Drain potatoes in a colander and return to the pot. Mash with a fork until smooth with no visible lumps, about 2 minutes.

Step 3

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides when you tilt the pan, about 60 seconds.

Step 4

Add minced onion and cook, stirring once every 10 seconds, until fragrant and translucent, about 90 seconds.

Step 5

Add minced garlic to the pan and stir for 15 seconds until you smell a strong garlic aroma.

Step 6

Add ground chicken or shrimp and break into small pieces with a spoon while cooking over medium-high heat until no pink remains, about 3 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds.

Step 7

Fold the cooked meat mixture into the mashed potatoes using a rubber spatula, rotating the bowl a quarter turn and lifting from the bottom until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 8

Place one wrapper on a cutting board with one corner pointing toward you, like a diamond. Scoop 1 tablespoon of filling onto the center of the wrapper.

Step 9

Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling, then fold the left and right corners inward, and finally roll the top corner down and over to seal completely. The finished roll should look like a small pillow, about 2 inches long.

Step 10

Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling until you have 12 filled risoles, arranging them seam-side down on a clean plate.

Step 11

Pour 3 cups oil into a deep pot or wok and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F on a thermometer, or until a wooden chopstick inserted into the oil shows steady bubbles, about 4 minutes.

Step 12

Carefully place 3 risoles into the hot oil using tongs. They should immediately bubble and float within 5 seconds; if not, wait 30 more seconds for oil to heat further.

Step 13

Fry for 2 minutes, then gently flip each risole with tongs and fry the other side for another 2 minutes until the surface turns golden honey-brown all over.

Step 14

Transfer cooked risoles to a paper towel-lined plate using tongs. Repeat frying in batches with the remaining 9 risoles, waiting 30 seconds between batches for oil temperature to recover.

Step 15

Serve warm, within 5 minutes of frying, while the outside is still crispy and the inside is creamy.