Egg-Free Potato Pancakes
These potato pancakes hold together without eggs thanks to the potato itself: we squeeze out the juice, let the starch settle and stir it back into the mixture. With a spoonful of flour, that gives pancakes as sturdy and crisp-edged as the classic kind. Fry them straight away, before the potato darkens, and eat them hot.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 360 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
For a gluten-free version, replace the wheat flour with the same weight of potato starch.
Makes: 16 pancakes, 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Grate the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and onion. Grate them on the fine side of a box grater, alternating between the two — the onion juice slows the potato from browning. Grate in the garlic at the end.
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Step 2: Squeeze out the liquid
Tip the mixture into a sieve set over a bowl, or into muslin, and squeeze firmly with your hands so the juice drains into the bowl. The mixture should feel noticeably drier.
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Step 3: Save the starch
Let the juice stand for 10 minutes: a dense white layer of starch will settle at the bottom. Carefully pour off the liquid, keeping the starch in the bowl.
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Step 4: Mix the batter
Add the squeezed potato to the starch along with the flour, salt and pepper, and mix well. The mixture should be thick enough to hold on a spoon rather than run off it.
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Step 5: Heat the oil
Pour about a third of the oil into a heavy frying pan so it evenly coats the base, and heat over medium-high heat. It is ready when a shred of potato sizzles vigorously the moment it goes in.
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Step 6: Fry the pancakes
Drop in heaped tablespoons of the mixture (about 45 g each) and flatten into 8–9 cm rounds about 6–7 mm thick, without crowding the pan. Fry for 3–4 minutes until the edges are deep golden and crisp, flip once and fry for 3–4 minutes more so the centre cooks through. Stir the mixture before each batch and top up the oil as needed.
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Step 7: Drain and serve
Transfer the pancakes to paper towels for a minute to absorb excess oil. Serve at once while the edges are crisp.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Choose floury, high-starch potatoes — they hold the pancakes together better. Waxy potatoes release a lot of liquid and tend to fall apart.
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Swap
For a gluten-free version, replace the wheat flour with the same weight of potato starch.
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Variation
Lenten deruny are great with a mushroom gravy or with sauerkraut dressed with onion and sunflower oil.
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Storage
Cooled pancakes keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat on a rack in a 200 °C oven for 8–10 minutes to bring back the crunch.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 360 kcal | 1,440 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 24 g |
| Fat | 15 g | 60 g |
| Carbohydrates | 50 g | 200 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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