Just One Food - Rempeyek

One of the most well-liked crunchy Malay snacks are these crispy crackers that I love...for which I didn't know what they're called initially.  So, I googled crispy fried crackers with nuts and ikan bilis....and that's how I learned they're called rempeyek.

I wasn't aware that they're actually an Indonesian snack to begin with.  I thought they were a local snack since it's commonly found here, usually made and sold by Malay vendors.

There are a couple of variations of this crispy cracker...some have green beans (kacang hijau) while some may even have dhal but the most common are the ones studded with nuts (kacang) or a combination of nuts and anchovies (ikan bilis).

They're made with very basic ingredients of rice flour, coconut milk and water into a runny batter before being studded with toppings and fried.  Some might have additional shredded curry leaves or kaffir lime leaves in the mix for more flavour.

The crackers are also scattered with ground spices which I think are cumin seeds (jintan putih) and fennel seeds (jintan manis) since the seeds share a similar shape (and I can't tell them apart).  These spices have highly aromatic, strong flavours.  They taste earthy, pungent, lemony, even slightly bitter.  There could possibly be some coriander seeds in the mix as well.  The spices of cumin and fennel seeds give the cracker this very lemony taste, perfumey fragrance that some may not like...but I do. ^.^

I've eaten quite a few of these in my time but most of them, though crispy, had hard and thick textures which I didn't really fancy.

The ones I really like are ones sold by a Malay lady who goes around on foot to restaurants and coffee shops in my housing area.  I first had a taste of those made by her some years back and then never saw her again until recently when I bumped into her again at a coffee shop.

Hers were the only ones I've eaten thus far that were truly thin...and utterly crispy, of course.  The batter is so thin, it's almost transparent...so crunchy, so yum!  It's very addictive and it's difficult to stop at one. ^o^

Though hers have only nuts and no ikan bilis, I prefer it that way since it's difficult to find those with good quality ikan bilis.  Most of the ones I've tried are those poor quality ones that taste really hard.  Hers also have little flecks of chillies.

Getting to eat her rempeyek depends on luck....as and when I bump into her at the eating places in my taman.  On one hand, I could ask for her contact no. but I think that'll be inappropriate as it wouldn't be very nice to ask her to meet me when I only buy like one to three packets at a time.  She sells each packet at RM4 (or RM10 for 3) and each pack has about 8 - 10 pieces (she sells other crispy snacks too).

I guess I'm destined to eat her rempeyek only as and when I bump into her when I'm out eating in my neighbourhood which is fine by me (I don't have to overindulge).  So, fingers crossed....kekeke!  Are you a fan of this crispy snack? ^_~