Rempah Goreng, literally “fried spices,” is the name for these delicious Indonesian meatballs. We often serve these as snacks with authentic Indonesian peanut sauce! You can also serve them as appetizers, or as one of the dishes in a rijsttafel! They are quick to make, and we often make a double batch, and freeze several of them!
Rempah Goreng: Indonesian Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
These Indonesian meatballs with authentic peanut sauce are a perfect snack or appetizer. You can eat them at room temperature, so are perfect for a picnic! This Rempah Goreng recipe with Katjang sauce is quick and easy. This Indonesian peanut sauce goes great with chicken, beef, or pork satay! For those wondering, Rempah Goreng means "Fried Spices."
Put the grated macadamia nuts and all the other meatball ingredients (other than the oil) in a large bowl.
With your hands, mix all the ingredients, until everything is evenly distributed and fully combined!
Shape this into small balls, approximately 4cm (1.5") in diameter. I use a scooper to make sure that they are all the same size.
It makes approximately 25 meatballs.
Heat your oil in a large Dutch oven until right before its smoke point, and add the meatballs. If your pan cannot fit all of them, you may have to cook them in batches.
Rotate the meatballs from time to time, so they are browned on all sides. Once they're all browned, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Cook them until the internal temperature hits 72ºC (160F)
Make the Peanut Sauce
Finely chop the garlic cloves. You can use a garlic press, if you have one.
In a large sauce pan, heat up 1.5 tbsp of the thick coconut milk, until it stops bubbling.
Fry up the sambal oelek and chopped garlic until fragrant, stirring constantly.
Add the peanut butter, and keep stirring until it starts to bubble.
Add the remaining coconut milk and stir it through. The sauce should be thick, but not so thick that you cannot pour it. If it's too thick, you can add water, stock, or more coconut milk. I ended up adding approximately ¼ cup of water to get the right consistency.
Add the brown sugar, tamarind pace, lemon juice, salt, and ketjap manis to taste. Stir to combine.
