How to make potato pancakes: a classic recipe and amazing variations

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Behind the appetizing crispy crust can hide not only tender potatoes, but also cheese, zucchini, mushrooms and minced meat.

How to make pancake dough

Potato pancakes are pancakes made from grated potatoes, onions, spices and sometimes eggs.

Things to consider before preparing the dough

1. It is best to use starchy potatoes. They usually have a light brown skin and a whitish flesh. Young potatoes will not work because they have less starch than old ones.
2. Potatoes are best grated on a fine grater. Just peel not all the potatoes at once, but 2-3 pieces each. Otherwise, you will have to soak the tubers so that they do not darken. And in water, they will lose some of the necessary starch.
3. So that the grated potato does not darken, it must be grated alternately with onions. In addition, onion puree will also give the finished pancakes a wonderful aroma and golden color.
4. Instead of onions, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream. It will not allow the potatoes to darken, and will also make the potato pancakes more fluffy.
5. If the grated potato has produced too much juice, you can squeeze it lightly. But not much, otherwise the potato pancakes will turn out to be dry and tough. It is better not to pour out the liquid: it may come in handy at the end of cooking.
6. It is not necessary to add an egg to classic pancakes. It is put in the event that there is not enough starch in the potatoes. The egg will keep the dough from falling apart.
7. Do not add flour: it can make potato pancakes "rubbery" and tasteless. If the dough is too thin, it is better to add a little starch. You can use a store-bought starch, or you can take the starch that settles on the bottom of the container with potato juice.

Over time, many different recipes for potato pancakes have appeared, but potatoes always remain the same ingredient. Here are some of the best potato pancake options.

Classic pancakes

Ingredients

• 5-7 potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• salt to taste;
• 1 egg - optional;
• 1-2 tablespoons of starch - optional.

Preparation

Grate potatoes and onions. Add salt and mix thoroughly. Add egg and starch if necessary and stir until smooth.

Potato pancakes with cheese

Ingredients

• 100 g of hard cheese;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 5-7 potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 1 egg - optional;
• 1-2 tablespoons of starch - optional.

Preparation

Grate cheese and garlic. Grate potatoes and onions alternately. Add cheese, garlic and spices to this mixture and mix well. If the cheese is salty enough, then you can skip the salt or put just a little bit. Add egg and starch to the dough if necessary.

How to make homemade cheese →

Potato pancakes with minced meat

Ingredients

• 200-300 g minced meat (you can take any meat, such as pork, beef or chicken);
• 2 onions;
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 5-7 potatoes;
• 1 egg - optional;
• 1-2 tablespoons of starch - optional.

Preparation

Add 1 grated onion, salt and pepper to the minced meat and stir. You can add other spices of your choice. Alternately grate the potatoes and the second onion. Add some spices and, if necessary, egg and starch and mix thoroughly.

Minced meat and potatoes can be simply mixed, or you can make potato pancakes with filling. You can find the method of their preparation below.

Potato pancakes with mushrooms

Ingredients

• 200-300 g of champignons;
• some vegetable oil;
• 5-7 potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• 1 egg - optional;
• 1-2 tablespoons of starch - optional.

Preparation

Cut the mushrooms into small cubes and lightly fry in hot oil. Grate potatoes and onions. Add spices and stir. Add egg and starch if necessary and mix well again.

Mushrooms can be added to a potato mixture or used as a filling, like in minced potato pancakes.

Potato pancakes with zucchini

Ingredients

• 1 small vegetable marrow;
• 5-7 potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• salt to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• ½ bunch of dill, parsley, or green onions;
• 1 egg - optional;
• 1-2 tablespoons of starch - optional.

Preparation

Peel the zucchini, remove the seeds, grate and squeeze out excess juice. Grate potatoes and onions alternately. Mix vegetables, add spices, chopped herbs and, if necessary, egg and starch.

14 delicious zucchini dishes →

Potato pancakes with pumpkin

Ingredients

• 300 g pumpkin;
• 5-7 potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• salt to taste;
• 1 egg - optional;
• 1-2 tablespoons of starch - optional.

Preparation

Rub the pumpkin. Grate potatoes and onions alternately. Combine these ingredients, add salt and, if necessary, egg and starch.

What to cook with pumpkin: 7 delicious and healthy dishes →

How to fry pancakes without filling

Potato pancakes are fried in a hot pan with heated vegetable oil or butter. It should cover the potato pancakes by about half. Then they will get a delicious crispy crust.

It is better to heat the oil in a frying pan in advance. As soon as the pancake dough is ready, you need to immediately start frying.

Scoop the potato mixture with a tablespoon and place in a frying pan, flattening with a spoon. The thinner the layer of dough is, the more crisp the pancakes will be.

Fry the potato pancakes over medium heat for a few minutes on both sides: the crust should turn out golden. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the pancakes. Thin pancakes will take about 3-5 minutes on each side, and 7-10 minutes for thick pancakes.

Before frying each subsequent portion of potato pancakes, mix the dough thoroughly. The starch in its composition can settle to the bottom, then the pancakes will not keep their shape well.

After browning, place the pancakes on a paper towel to drain off excess fat.

How to fry potato pancakes with filling

Place the potato mixture in a skillet and flatten. Place small meatballs, mushrooms, or other ingredients of your choice on top of them immediately. Then cover the filling with another spoonful of dough and fry the pancakes in the same way as usual.

How to serve pancakes

The best pancakes are freshly cooked. They won't be as tasty when cold.

Potato pancakes are considered an independent dish. Most often they are served with sour cream and fresh herbs. However, you can use other sauces of your choice.