Safe way to fry cireng so it doesn't explode and doesn't absorb too much oil

foto: YouTube/Dhasilfa Raditya

Minimize the risk of explosion and splashing hot oil when frying cireng with this simple method.

Brilio.net - Cireng, short for aci goreng, is a delicious and affordable snack. You can find it at street vendors or buy it frozen at supermarkets and online stores. Cireng can also be made at home using tapioca flour or aci flour. The cireng dough is mixed with water and salt, kneaded until smooth, then formed into a flat shape. Finally, the cireng is fried until crispy and crunchy.

Although making the batter for fried cireng is quite easy, frying it can be a challenge because of the risk of exploding and splashing hot oil. To avoid this, use certain tricks when frying. A YouTube user, Dhasilfa Raditya, shared a trick so that cireng does not explode and does not absorb a lot of oil.

As reported by BrilioFood from YouTube Dhasilfa Raditya on Thursday (30/1), oil temperature is the main factor when frying cireng. So, to prevent it from exploding, heat the oil using medium to low heat. In addition to the condition of the heat, the oil used must also be a lot so that the cireng can expand.

Before the oil is really hot, immediately put the cireng in. Now, this is the key. Avoid putting the cireng in when the oil is already hot because extreme temperatures will cause the cireng to expand quickly and explode.

photo: YouTube/Dhasilfa Raditya

Unlike when put in oil that is still relatively cold, cireng will expand slowly. Increasing the temperature slowly also makes cireng not explode when fried. Well, you can fry it with medium to low heat until the cireng expands. Don't forget to turn the cireng over so that it cooks evenly.

photo: YouTube/Dhasilfa Raditya

If the cireng is starting to cook, increase the heat again. Then fry for 1-2 minutes until the texture is increasingly crispy. Well, this is important to do so that the cireng does not absorb a lot of oil. If so, immediately remove and drain.

photo: YouTube/Dhasilfa Raditya

Before adding other cireng to be fried, don't forget to reduce the heat again. Wait for it to cool, then fry the cireng as in the previous step. That way, the cireng will expand and not explode easily. The texture is also crispy and not soft because it absorbs a lot of oil. The fried cireng is ready to be eaten with complementary seasonings, such as soup seasoning, rujak seasoning, or peanut sauce.

How? Easy enough, right? You can apply this trick when making cireng at home. Or you can also use it when you want to fry instant cireng which is usually sold frozen. That way, you don't have to worry about getting splashed with oil when frying cireng.

The phenomenon of exploding cireng when fried occurs due to the reaction between the starch content in tapioca flour and high temperatures. Tapioca flour has a high amylopectin content, around 83%. When it meets hot oil, the water molecules bound in the starch will suddenly turn into steam. If the oil temperature is too high, this evaporation process occurs very quickly, causing the pressure of the water vapor trapped in the cireng dough to increase drastically. As a result, this pressure will find a way out and make the cireng "explode", causing dangerous splashes of hot oil. That is why regulating the oil temperature is very important in the process of frying cireng.

In addition to the frying technique, the soft texture of cireng is also determined by how to make the dough. First, use the right ratio of tapioca flour and water, which is 2:1 (for example 200 grams of tapioca flour with 100 ml of water). Also add 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the dough to make the texture softer. When making the dough, use boiling water so that the starch gelatinization process runs perfectly, this will make the cireng more chewy and not hard after cooling.

In addition, you can add a little wheat flour (about 2-3 tablespoons for 200 grams of tapioca flour) to the dough. Wheat flour contains gluten which helps make the texture of the cireng softer. The process of kneading the dough is also important - knead until the dough is completely smooth but not too long because it can make the cireng hard. No less important, after frying, let the cireng cool for a while before storing it in a closed container so that water vapor is not trapped and makes the cireng hard.

If the cireng is already hard, you can warm it by baking it on a teflon with low heat or in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. It can also be fried briefly with low heat while dripping a little water to restore the moisture of the cireng.

(brl/tin)