Betawi Festival Icon · Spiced Sticky Rice Omelette
Kerak Telor
Photo: Warta Kota / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
The vendor turns the small wok upside down over the coals and the rice-and-egg disc stays stuck to the pan, crisping into the 'kerak' (crust) that gives the dish its name.
Glutinous rice is cooked directly in a wok with egg, then the whole disc is flipped upside down over open charcoal to sear and caramelize, before being topped with serundeng (sweet fried coconut), fried shallots, and dried shrimp. Vendors squat behind a small charcoal brazier and cast-iron pan, flipping each order by hand.
Why it's made this way: Kerak telor is considered the signature dish of the indigenous Betawi people of Jakarta, and it's traditionally sold at Betawi cultural events like the annual Jakarta Anniversary fair, making it as much a cultural marker as a snack.
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