UNS — Utilizing the potential in Banyuurip Village, Sambungmacan Subdistrict, Sragen District, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta students empower the local community economy. The majority of Banyuurip people work in the agricultural sector and farming catfish. This condition encourages UNS students in Student Community Service Program (KKN) in Banyuurip processed catfish into chips with a high selling price.
Catfish farming in the village is conducted using tarpaulin and soil pools besides people’s houses. The KKN team held a training followed by chips production. The program was designed for Family Empowerment and Welfare (PKK) managers as representatives from the local community. The KKN Team leader, Aisyah Umi, explained that the program aims to develop local community creativity and innovation in starting a culinary business made from catfish.
“Usually, catfish only cooked as pecel lele, fried catfish, or grilled catfish. But we tried to process it into snacks, catfish chips,” Aisyah Umi explained on Friday (12/3/2021).
Umi explained that the components needed to make the chips are easy, fresh catfish, tapioca flour, salt, flavoring, powdered garlic, ground pepper, and lime. Fresh fishes are cut and separated from the head. Only the meat will be used in the production process. The meat is then thinly cut and marinated in lime juice to remove the fishy aroma. The meat cuts are then covered with tapioca flour mixed with salts, flavoring, ground pepper, and powdered garlic.
The meat covered in flour mixture is then fried in medium fire until it turned golden. After it is dried out, the chips are ready to be served. To increase its crispness, the frying process can be repeated twice, and the result should be kept for 12 hours in a closed container.
This KKN Team hopes to improve the local economy and innovation in processing catfish through the program, especially for housewives. “Besides, (it is) also open business opportunity that will increase Banyuurip village income or local people income,” Aisyah hopes. Humas UNS
Reporter: Bayu Aji Prasetya
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
