Spicy Mashed Potato Pancake

I’ve been singing praises of potatoes ever since I started my blog. Really I don’t know any other ingredient as versatile as good old potatoes! They are one of the oldest staple food known to mankind and one of the healthiest that you can serve your family if cooked the right way (not deep fried or loaded with cream and butter). I’m not talking about their yumminess because I’m sure they are the most liked vegetable around the world. Kids don’t even consider them a vegetable!

Now pancakes is my family’s most favourite breakfast. I have a good variety of all sorts of crepes and pancakes on the blog. This savoury and Spicy Mashed Potato Pancake version has potatoes as the star ingredient. They turn out so soft that literally melt in the mouth. The batter is a fusion of regular pancakes mixed with South Asian flavours of curry – onions, ginger, garlic and spices sautéed in oil.

Very little oil is used in cooking these pancakes and no butter or cream is added to the batter which makes them perfect for weight watchers too. You can add in cooked chicken, fish or shrimps to the mix too. The batter can be prepared a night ahead so that all you have to do in the morning is cook the pancakes. Your one day old Mashed Potato Pancake would nicely reheat in the microwave or on skillet too.

You can also use leftover mashed potatoes to make the pancakes.

7-8 medium potatoes
1 onion
1 inch piece ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 green chilli peppers
1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (zeera)
1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
salt to taste
3/4 cup plain flour or gram flour
3 eggs or 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds mixed in 1/4 cup water till fully absorbed
1/2 cup milk
a small bunch of coriander
4 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil

Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Boil till done. Drain and set aside.

Finely chop onions, ginger and garlic.

Chop green chilli peppers and coriander.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Sauté for a minute or till the seeds begin to splutter.

Add chopped onions, ginger and garlic. Add red chilli flakes. Sauté the mix for another minute.

Add boiled potatoes to a big mixing bowl. Mash till smooth. Stir in the sautéed onions and spice mix. Add flour, eggs/flaxseeds, milk, green Chillies and coriander. Add salt. Mix to make a soft batter.

Batter shall be quite thick but soft enough to spread in the pan.

Heat a nonstick frying pan on medium heat. Grease it lightly every time before making a new pancake.

Reduce heat to low. Place a serving spoon full of batter in the middle of the pan, gently spread it out in a 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches wide circle. Let it cook on one side for 2 minutes or till the pancake is firm enough to flip.

Cook on the other side similarly. Should have nice golden brown spots on both sides. Repeat with all batter.

Don’t over crowd the pan, make at the most two pancakes if you have a big frying pan. There should be enough space to flip them.

Serve warm with thick yogurt, coriander/cumin raita, chutney or pickle of your choice.

Makes 8 medium pancakes.

Serves 4