Potatoes are so versatile. There is just so much you can do with this one simple humble ingredient. And here is one that’s very much well-loved on our dinner table lately – fried potato patties. They are crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside and carry a good flavour oomph. With a side of ketchup and sweet chilli sauce, they get gobbled up quickly every single time.
Potato Patties inspired by Indonesian Perdekel
This recipe is very much inspired by the Perdekel Kentang we had at Toba Restaurant, a contemporary Indonesian restaurant we absolutely adore in central London. Perdekel is a traditional Indonesian dish that’s essentially mashed potato fritters. There are plenty of variations such as meat-stuffed perdekel, tofu perdekel, minced fish perdekel, etc.
Traditionally, the potatoes are fried before being mashed into a pattie. This is to ensure that there won’t be too much moisture in the mash and make it less mushy. However, when I tried them at Toba, I found them a bit too dry to taste. Therefore, in my recipe, I stuck with boiling the potatoes first before mashing them up. But then I’d use cornflour to add firmness to the mash and make it easier to shape them.
Why You’ll Love This Fried Potato Patties Recipe
As mentioned, these potato patties turn out lightly crispy on the outside and beautifully soft on the inside. It only takes very simple ingredients & seasonings to make but the results would surprise you with a flavour oomph and leave you keep wanting more! They’ve not too complicated to make at all and you can easily add that to your lunch/dinner menu at home. Not only are they great as a starter and side dish, but they also make a terrific snack!
As per traditional Indonesian perkedel kentang, fried shallots are used in this recipe. But that’s pretty much the only ingredient I add to the potatoes in addition to the seasonings. Feel free to throw in some scallions as well, and/or fried minced meat etc. to make them your own!
Looking for more recipe inspo? Check these out too:
How to Make Fried Potato Patties
Ingredients You Need
- Potatoes – Maris Piper/King Edward potatoes preferred (or Russet potatoes in America)
- Shallots
- Salt & White Pepper – to season
- MSG – optional
- Cornflour
- Eggs
- Cooking Oil
Recipe Notes
- Maris Piper potatoes (or other floury potatoes) are preferred in this fried potato patties recipe because they have a higher starch content and offer a fluffier texture. Other waxy potatoes would still work in this fried potato patties recipe but the texture will differ.
- Make sure the water has been completely drained after boiling the potatoes. Too much moisture will make it harder to shape the patties and they may easily break during the frying process. You can leave the potatoes in the pot after draining the water and let the remaining heat further “dry up” the potatoes just to ensure there’s no unwanted moisture left.
- It is entirely up to you how mashed up you like your potatoes. You can leave it slightly chunky to add more texture or mash them till smooth. However, you don’t want it too creamy as that would make it hard for the potato patties to hold their shape.
- In this recipe, I have included how to make the fried shallots as well. But if you’d like to save time, you can totally just use pre-made crispy fried onions/shallots.
- MSG stands for monosodium glutamate and is a flavour enhancer commonly used in Asian cuisines. You only need a small pinch to add some incredible flavours to the dish. It is completely optional though. MSG can be commonly found in Asian supermarkets or can be purchased on Amazon.
- Cornflour acts as a thickening agent to the mashed potatoes. This would help the potato patties to hold their shape when cooking. Adjust accordingly depending on the texture of your mash. Add more if you feel the mash is too soft.
- Ensuring your oil is hot enough in the pan is key to achieving a crispy exterior without leaving a greasy taste. One way to check if your oil is hot enough is by inserting a wooden chopstick into the pan and bubbles should form around it.
Indonesian-inspired Fried Potato Patties
Ingredients
- 1 kg Potatoes* peeled & cut into chunks
- 3 Shallots thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp White Pepper
- A small pinch of MSG* optional
- 1-2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 Eggs beaten
- Cooking Oil
Instructions
Making the fried shallots
- Fill the pan with a shallow layer of oil and heat oil in a pan over medium heat. The oil is ready if bubbles form when you insert a wooden chopstick into the pan.
- Add the sliced shallots and cook for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown in colour.3 Shallots
- Remove from pan and set aside.
Making the potato patties
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season with a pinch of salt and add the potatoes.1 kg Potatoes*
- Cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until they are cooked through and are soft enough to mash. Drain all cooking water.*
- Mash the potatoes. Then mix in the fried shallots, salt, white pepper, MSG (if using), and cornflour to the potatoes.1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp White Pepper, A small pinch of MSG*, 1-2 tbsp Cornstarch
- Using your hands, shape the mashed potato mixture into small patties. I like to make them each around a palm's size and at ½-inch thick.
- Fill the pan with a shallow layer of oil and heat the oil over medium heat. The oil is ready if bubbles form when you insert a wooden chopstick into the pan.Cooking Oil
- Dip each patty into the beaten eggs until coated and add to the hot pan. Repeat with each patty. Do not overcrowd the pan and cook in batches if need to.2 Eggs
- Cook the patties for about 3-5 minutes on each side until golden & crispy. Place the cooked potato patties on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil and serve warm.
Notes
- Maris Piper potatoes (or other floury potatoes) are preferred in this fried potato patties recipe because they have a higher starch content and offer a fluffier texture. Other waxy potatoes would still work in this fried potato patties recipe but the texture will differ.
- Make sure the water has been completely drained after boiling the potatoes. Too much moisture will make it harder to shape the patties and they may easily break during the frying process. You can leave the potatoes in the pot after draining the water and let the remaining heat further “dry up” the potatoes just to ensure there’s no unwanted moisture left.
- If you’d like to save time, you can just use pre-made crispy fried onions/shallots.
- Cornflour acts as a thickening agent to the mashed potatoes. This would help the potato patties to hold their shape when cooking. Adjust accordingly depending on the texture of your mash. Add more if you feel the mash is too soft.
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