Who hasn’t heard of Ayam Geprek? This dish of crispy fried chicken smashed with spicy sambal has long been a favorite. However, in recent years, an equally popular and viral innovation has emerged: Telur Geprek (Smashed Egg). Replacing the chicken with an egg, this dish proves that simplicity, when combined with an intense, “kicking” spicy sensation, can create a culinary phenomenon.
What is Telur Geprek?
Telur Geprek is essentially an egg that is prepared to be crispy (it can be an omelet or a fried egg coated in seasoned batter), then smashed (or geprek-ed) roughly with a super-spicy shallot sambal or shrimp paste sambal. The dish is typically served hot with white rice.
Why Did Telur Geprek Go So Viral?
The popularity of Telur Geprek stems from several key factors:
- Economical and Practical: Compared to chicken, eggs are much more affordable. This makes Telur Geprek a great “end-of-the-month” option or a quick solution for saving on expenses.
- Easy to Make: The preparation process is very simple. You just need eggs, a crispy flour coating (usually a mix of all-purpose flour and tapioca), and pounded chili paste (sambal). Anyone can make it at home without high-level cooking skills.
- Appetizing Texture: The combination of the soft egg inside and the crispy batter on the outside creates an appealing texture. When smashed with the sambal, all the flavors blend perfectly.
- A Contemporary Spicy Sensation: The Indonesian culinary trend is always dominated by spicy flavors. Telur Geprek offers adjustable heat levels, from “regular” to “volcano” levels that burn the tongue, perfectly suiting modern preferences.
How to Make Crispy and Spicy Telur Geprek
Making the perfect Telur Geprek at home is very easy. Here are the basic steps:
Main Ingredients:
- 2 chicken eggs
- All-purpose flour and tapioca flour (for wet and dry batter)
- Salt, pepper, and seasoning powder
- Cooking oil
Sambal Ingredients (Simple Shallot Sambal):
- Red bird’s eye chilies (adjust to desired spice level)
- Garlic
- Salt and a little sugar
- Hot oil left from frying the egg
Steps:
- Prepare the Egg: Whisk the eggs with a little salt and make a thin omelet. Let it cool slightly.
- Coat with Batter: Prepare two bowls: one for the wet batter (all-purpose flour + ice water) and one for the dry batter (all-purpose flour + tapioca flour + seasoning). Dip the omelet into the wet batter, then coat it generously with the dry batter, gently squeezing it a bit to create a crispy texture.
- Fry: Fry the egg in hot oil until golden brown and truly crispy. Lift and drain.
- Make the Sambal: Roughly mash the bird’s eye chilies, garlic, salt, and sugar in a mortar and pestle (cobek). Pour a little hot oil from frying the egg over the mixture. Stir well.
- Smash (Geprek): Place the crispy egg on top of the sambal in the mortar. Smash or press the egg until it is slightly crushed and the sambal covers its entire surface.
- Serve: Serve your spicy Telur Geprek immediately with warm rice.
Telur Geprek is clear evidence that culinary innovation doesn’t always need to be fancy. Just with simple ingredients prepared with a modern twist, this dish successfully captured the hearts of spicy food lovers across Indonesia.