Recipe Corner: Zucchini Potato Pancakes

We found this recipe on the 'net in a couple of different forms.  I'm adding it to our blog so we don't lose it.

I have seen this recipe in several places.  When I first made it, I interpolated between the versions on My Kitchen in the Rockies and My Columbian Recipes.  There is no special reason why I used those two except that they were the ones I stumbled across first.  Both of the blogs say that the original recipe came from the Joy the Baker Cookbook.  There is a recipe for zucchini pancakes, no potato added, on Joy the Baker's website if one wants to see the ur-recipe.  Which apparently was inspired by yet another person!  I love how cooking is so collaborative, with food concepts being adapted by so many different people.


Zucchini Potato Pancakes

2 cups peeled and grated potato
2 cups grated zucchini (or any kind of summer squash)
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
oil (for sauteing, about 2-4 tablespoons total over the whole recipe)

Mix the grated squash and potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Put it in a colander to drain for about 10 minutes, and then squeeze out the excess liquid.

Meanwhile, saute the diced onions in a bit of oil until they are translucent.  Add the garlic, saute another minute, then set aside.

Break the eggs, beat them slightly to mix well, then add the flour, baking powder, and another 1/2 tsp. salt.  Add the two veggie mixtures (onion with garlic, and the shredded veggies) and mix well.

Heat more oil in a pan.  Add blobs of the veggie/egg mix.  Flatten them a bit with a fork or spatula.  Cook over medium-high heat, flipping when the edges turn brown, until they are crisp on both sides.  These are not deep-fried; they are merely sauteed.

This made 12 pancakes.  The amount per blob was more than a tablespoon (as specified on one blog), somewhat less than 1/4 cup (as specified on another blog).  So about 2-3 tablespoons batter per pancake, more or less.

Serve immediately with any desired sauces or condiments.

The original recipes say that these are best the day they are made.  They can be kept warm in a 200 F oven if necessary.  If there are leftovers, store in the refrigerator and reheat in a lightly oiled saute pan the next day.


We served these with hummus.  I can see a lot of other sauces or condiments being useful -- all kinds of salsas, baba ghanoush, many kinds of chutneys, ketchup or chili sauce or shrimp cocktail sauce, potsticker dipping sauce, yogurt or sour cream or creme fraiche, etc.

The ratio of potato to zucchini can be adjusted to fit the size of your potatoes and zucchinis.  I also believe that the total quantity of grated veggies is somewhat flexible, though of course not infinitely flexible.  Summer squash of any sort can be substituted for the zucchini.  I suspect that other vegetables can be added to the mix.  The pancakes can be made somewhat bigger or smaller.  Various herbs or spices can be added to the batter.  And so on.

One medium-large baking potato is about 2 cups.  One medium or two smaller summer squash is about equal to 2 cups.  In case you need to know.

I wonder how these would taste being rolled in pita bread, with vegetables and tahini or tzatziki or hummus, as some mad variation on a falafel.

One blog recommends them as part of a menu which includes smoked salmon and herbed cream cheese.  Another recommends sour cream or creme fraiche, with a dusting of cumin and paprika.

This is a versatile recipe as well as being a nice way to use up the rapidly accumulating squash from the garden.