Cilor
(chee-lor)
Jajanan SD: After-School Nostalgia
If you ask a first-generation Indonesian kid about the greatest food they ate growing up, they won't point you to a lavish banquet. They'll tell you about the abang-abang—the street vendors parked outside the elementary school gates, slinging skewers of chewy tapioca fried in a sizzling, lacy web of beaten egg. Cilor is honest, unapologetic comfort food, demanding nothing more than cheap pantry staples and a little respect for the alchemy of boiling water and starch. It’s a direct line to the chaotic, intoxicating magic of a West Javanese afternoon, scaled down for a Tuesday night in the American suburbs. No shortcuts on flavor, just the real deal.
Ingredients
- tapioca flour1 cup
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- garlic3 med cloves
- scallion1 med
- chicken bouillon powder1 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- water1/2 cup
- large eggs2 large
- water1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- neutral oil1/4 cup
- kecap manis2 tbsp
- sambal or sriracha2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Whisk together the dry dough base.
In a medium heat-proof bowl, combine the tapioca flour, all-purpose flour, grated garlic, scallion, bouillon powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp white pepper, ensuring the garlic is evenly distributed.
- 02
Hydrate the flour with violently boiling water.
Pour the rolling boiling water over the flour and immediately stir with a sturdy spatula; the intense heat is non-negotiable, gelatinizing the starches so they bind together instead of dissolving into a crumbly mess.
- 03
Knead into a smooth, pliable dough.
As soon as it’s cool enough to handle, get in there with your hands and knead until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, adding a teaspoon of boiling water if it feels too dry.
- 04
Shape the dough into small marbles.
Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll them between your palms to create half-inch balls, yielding around forty to fifty pieces.
- 05
Boil until they float.
Drop the tapioca balls into a pot of boiling water, give them a gentle stir so they don't stick, and let them cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they rise to the surface, fully cooked and bouncy.
- 06
Skewer the cooked tapioca.
Use a slotted spoon to drain the balls, let them cool slightly, then thread three to four of them onto short bamboo skewers.
- 07
Whisk the egg wash.
In a shallow dish wide enough to fit your skewers, vigorously beat the eggs with a tablespoon of water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp white pepper until very loose and frothy.
- 08
Fry in the lacy egg web.
Heat a shallow layer of neutral oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat, dunk the skewers in the egg wash, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, spooning extra egg over the top to create crispy, delicious tendrils.
Notes
Respect the boiling water rule.
If there is one trick to master in Sundanese cooking, it’s handling the tapioca. Your water must be at a bubbling, rolling boil when it hits the flour to instantly cook the starches; hot tap water will fail you entirely.
The weeknight pan-scramble hack.
Don't have time to thread fifty little dough balls onto sticks? Flatten the dough, cut it into half-inch squares, boil them, and throw them straight into the skillet. Pour the egg directly over the top and scramble it all together for a quick, bowl-ready meal.
Serve it hot and sauced.
Cilor is defined by how it’s dressed; eat these immediately while the egg is still crispy, generously zig-zagged with sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) and your favorite sambal.