Vegan Potato Pancakes
Have you ever wondered whether you can make potato pancakes without eggs? Absolutely, because we have potatoes to bind them. These pancakes here are crispy outside, soft on the inside, and very tasty, like the Czech specialty Bramboráky, which I got to know at the Austrian/Viennese restaurant “Schweizerhaus”. Let me show you how to easily and quickly make gluten-free vegan potato pancakes from raw shredded potatoes, without eggs, flour, onion, and milk (dairy-free), but with two other ingredients that are rather unusual for potato pancakes.
Potato Pancakes like at “Schweizerhaus”
Potato pancakes from the Viennese restaurant “Schweizerhaus” are simply too good. As a Viennese child, I grew up with them and stood in line with my mom at the alley sale back in the 1980s.
For all those who don’t know “Schweizerhaus“: It’s a huge beer garden in the middle of Vienna’s Prater amusement park. On a sunny day, Schweizerhaus is a popular meeting place for a beer, ideally accompanied by a potato pancake.
I’ve been making potato pancakes from time to time for ages, because it’s not every day that you get to the Schweizerhaus. They have always tasted good, but never quite as good as I ate them outside.
So I started tinkering, researching and testing myself step by step, or potato pancake by potato pancake. I also diligently ate potato pancakes at the Schweizerhaus (a nice task) and tried to identify their taste.
Bohemian Bramboráky
During my conscious tests I recognized marjoram, my mom always cooked with it, so luckily it wasn’t a difficult game. After a Google search, I came across the Bohemian or Czech potato pancakes, which are called “Bramboráky” (Brambor means potato).
It was actually logical that I came across this discovery of origin, as the Schweizerhaus also serves beer from the Czech Republic, namely Budweiser “Budvar”.
A few (many) Words about the Ingredients and Preparation
Bramboráky are often prepared with eggs and milk, but the ones from Schweizerhaus are vegan, as of course are the ones in this recipe. You’ll see how easy it is to make potato pancakes without eggs, and you won’t have to worry about them falling apart.
Bramboráky, like these potato pancakes, are made from raw potatoes (there are also recipes that use cooked potatoes).
You can use any type of potato for potato pancakes. I have made them with floury, mainly waxy and waxy potatoes, and they have always turned out well. However, if you have to buy some anyway, opt for (predominantly) waxy potatoes, because in theory this is the best type of potato for potato pancakes.
As always, you can find the exact recipe in the recipe card below. But first things first: the potatoes are peeled and then finely grated. At this point, I once again warmly recommend a kitchen machine *) (I confess: without it, I would never grate 1 kg of potatoes and would still be a regular guest at Schweizerhaus).
Binding Power Potato Starch
The shredded potatoes are then squeezed through a (tea) towel, which is the absurd thing about the recipe. This is because squeezing out the liquid causes some of the potato starch to be lost, which we then add back in powder form.
Theoretically, you can also collect the wrung-out liquid in a bowl and wait for about 30 minutes until the starch has settled to the bottom. Then pour off the “water” and continue working with the starch you have just obtained at the bottom of the bowl.
However, this doesn’t always work in practice, at least for me. Depending on the type of potato, I sometimes have starch left in the bowl and sometimes nothing or hardly any. Incidentally, this was the amount of liquid I squeezed out of the potatoes I photographed for this post – and even after more than an hour, no starch had settled to the bottom. So don’t rely on this.
Two Special Ingredients
What sets Bramboráky apart from the “usual potato pancakes” (latkes, potato fritters, hash browns, … how they are also called) is the use of garlic instead of onions. There is also a lot of marjoram. Believe me – a fantastic combination for flavorful potato pancakes! If you’re making them for babies or small children, you could reduce the amount of garlic. A few more words on this in a moment.
In addition to the garlic and marjoram, they are traditionally seasoned with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Apart from the few spices, these are mainly potato pancakes made from potatoes, as the starch that may be added is also made from potatoes. They are therefore also prepared without flour (but you can theoretically use flour instead of potato starch if you don’t have any at home and are otherwise already in the starting blocks).
Crunchy Crunchy
After you have mixed all the ingredients well (the emphasis is on well – otherwise you will have some spots with a lot of garlic. I’m afraid my daughter bit into one of these when she suddenly stopped eating and told me she was already full …) all you have to do is heat some unflavored oil in a pan and fry your pancakes on both sides until they are nice and crispy on the edges and golden brown on the surfaces.
How many, with what, and for how long?
Incidentally, the quantity given is enough for 6-7 vegan potato pancakes and feeds about two people. I prefer to eat my potato pancakes just the way they are, sometimes with a salad as a side dish. Last time I ate them with a simple tomato salad. What also goes well with potato pancakes are baked beans or any other similar bean dish.
And, yes, I confess – every now, and then I also eat them with ketchup. But with my delicious, homemade spiced ketchup made from fresh tomatoes and without industrial sugar. The recipe will follow, I promise!
If you can never have enough garlic, you could also eat them with vegan tzatziki. Or with another Bohemian-Austrian delicacy, namely a spicy Liptauer “cheese” spread.
At the Schweizerhaus, by the way, they are spread with even more fresh garlic on top. Although I love garlic, this amount is enough for a good scent.
You should prepare and eat your vegan potato pancakes fresh, as this is how they taste best. Potato pancake batter cannot be prepared in advance, nor can it be reheated or eaten the next day. It’s now or never.
You might also like to eat …
Bramboráky: Czech Vegan Potato Pancakes
Crispy, gluten-free, vegan potato pancakes. A delicious recipe without eggs and flour, based on the Czech specialty "Bramboráky."
Ingredients
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and grate finely (using a kitchen machine *)).
- Place the shredded potatoes on a tea towel, hold the ends together at the top, and squeeze the liquid out of the potatoes as best you can.
- Place the potatoes in a bowl. Press the garlic to the potatoes and add the potato starch, marjoram, salt, a bit (one good pinch) of freshly grated *) nutmeg, and a little pepper. Mix everything well.
- Now heat approx. 5 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the first 3 (depending on the size of the pan) pancakes. Ideally, form a ball from the mixture that is larger than a golf ball and smaller than a tennis ball. Place the ball in the pan and flatten with a spatula *). Alternatively, form pretty patties beforehand. The remaining oil is then gradually added after turning or used for the remaining pancakes.
- Turn the potato pancakes when the edges start to turn crispy (after approx. 2 minutes). Continue frying on the other side until golden brown.
- Drain on kitchen towel and serve hot.
Notes
- Potatoes: Use mainly waxy or waxy potatoes, at least that's what the theory says. However, I have also made this recipe with floury or even mixed varieties - it was always delicious.
- Potato starch: Alternatively, if you don't care if your potato pancakes are gluten-free or not, you can also add approx. 3 tbsp all-purpose flour.