Beef Pockets

Makes Servings

This treat is commonly sold in the evening at Jakarta’s roadside food stalls. There are many different variations, but they always have meat, eggs, green onion, and served in shells usually made by the food vendors from dough that has been soaked in vegetable oil, flattened and tossed around until it widens and becomes very thin. Living abroad, I have to come up with a feasible way to re-create this dish and get my fix. I use ground beef as the filling and lumpia skin (egg roll wrappers) as the shell. They are savory, with a hint of Madras curry powder. The crispy shell makes this treat a hit at parties. Best served warm with dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Beef Pockets
Vegetable oil to cook the filling
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound ground meat
1 teaspoon madras curry powder
1 beef bouillon cube, crushed into powder with the side of a heavy knife
Salt & pepper to taste
3 bunches of green onion, finely chopped
12 eggs
Lumpia/ egg roll wrappers
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Dip
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup of warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
Cayenne pepper, chopped (optional)

Directions

  1. Beef Pockets: Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan and add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add ground meat and brown.
  2. Add curry powder, crushed beef bouillon cube, and the black pepper. Stir until combined. Add more salt if necessary.
  3. Lightly beat 7 of the eggs in a bowl. Pour eggs into pan and stir together until eggs are combined with the beef and cooked.. Put mixture aside and let cool slightly and then stir the remaining eggs into meat mixture.
  4. Place about ¼ cup of meat mixture in the center of a lumpia/egg roll wrapper. Fold the sides together into an envelope. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve with dipping sauce.
  5. Dip: Mix all ingredients together, stir, and serve.