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Potato Pancakes
Instructions
I get the ingredients ready for the potato dough. If the eggs are large, one will be enough.
Now I take out the products for the filling. The minced meat can be any kind – chicken, beef, or pork.
I cut the potatoes into pieces so they cook faster. I cover them with water and put the pot on the stove.
As foam appears, I skim it off with a spoon.
Once the water comes to the boil, I add salt and boil the potatoes until they are soft.
Meanwhile, I dice the onion and coarsely grate the carrot.
First I fry the onion in a little vegetable oil until it turns translucent.
I add the carrot and let it sweat for about a minute and a half.
Once the carrot has softened, without removing the vegetables from the pan, I add the minced meat. I crush the clumps of meat that quickly set on the hot pan with a spatula, trying to break them into smaller pieces. I season everything with salt and pepper. I fry the filling on all sides until done – this takes about 3–4 minutes.
By this time the potatoes are cooked. I drain off all the water, then return the pot to low heat for a few seconds to evaporate any remaining moisture, since leftover moisture would make the potato patties spread during frying. I mash the potatoes with a masher.
I add the eggs and mix the mixture together.
Now I need to wait for the mashed potatoes to cool, because the hot mixture can burn your hands and, besides, this mixture holds its shape better once chilled. I flatten a small cake on my palm, place the filling in the centre, and join the open edges to form a patty.
I move the patty to a plate of flour and coat it on all sides.
I prepare all the kartoplyaniki this way, laying them out on a cutting board.
I heat a small amount of oil well in a frying pan. I place the patties in it with some space between them.
When the bottom browns, I flip the patties onto the other side.
From the pan I transfer them to a wide plate.
The fragrant, golden kartoplyaniki are ready. I serve them in portions, laying out 2 per plate. With cold thick sour cream, Greek tzatziki sauce, or your favourite sauce – it is a true delight!
Tips
- 1
Evaporate the moisture – the secret to stopping them spreading. Wet mash spreads in the pan. After boiling, keep the pot on the heat for around half a minute so all the water evaporates.
- 2
Cool before shaping – the secret to a good shape. Hot mash burns your hands and holds its shape poorly. Warm (not hot) mash forms into neat patties.
- 3
Flour on the coating, not in the dough – the secret to tenderness. Flour in the mash makes the patties dense. Only in the coating, you get a tender middle with a crisp crust.
- 4
Meat + onion + carrot – the secret to a juicy filling. The onion and carrot give the meat juices, so the filling does not dry out during frying.
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