Potato Cheese Pancakes (Korean Style)

Enjoy the delightful combination of chewiness, crispiness, and sweetness with this Korean Potato Cheese Pancakes recipe.

Who says cheese is limited to savory dishes? Fresh mozzarella, with its subtly mild savory taste, introduces a delightful contrast amid the salty and sweet notes (from brown sugar and condensed milk), providing a more complex and satisfying flavor profile

This easy recipe takes you through the steps of creating a luscious and flavorful snack: Boiling the potatoes, mashing them to perfection, and infusing sweetness with condensed milk sets the foundation. The addition of glutinous rice flour and cornstarch yields a smooth and pliable dough. Each pancake harbors a delightful surprise – a sugared mozzarella cheese center, adding a perfect touch of milky sweetness. Carefully pan fried until golden brown, these pancakes offer a delightful contrast of textures.

Now roll up your sleeves and try your hand at this Korean street food inspired treat, blending tradition and innovation in a single bite.

Tips for Making Potato Cheese Pancakes

1. Choice of Potatoes

Starchy potatoes, like Russet Potatoes or Yukon Gold Potatoes, have a higher starch content and lower moisture content, resulting in a smooth texture when mashed. Using small-sized potatoes allows for convenient boiling without the need to cut them into chunks beforehand.

2. Boil Potatoes with Their Skins On

Boiling potatoes with their skins helps retain the natural flavors and nutrients. The skin acts as a protective barrier, preventing the loss of flavor and essential nutrients into the cooking water.

More importantly, the potato skins act as a natural barrier, preventing the potatoes from absorbing too much water during boiling. Without this protective layer, an excess of water could lead us to use additional cornstarch to achieve a smooth dough.

3. Mashing Technique

Use a potato masher or fork to mash the potatoes just until they are smooth and lump-free. Avoid over-mashing, as it can make the final dough too sticky due to the release of excess starch.

4. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Incorporating sweetened condensed milk into the potato dough imparts a sweet and milky flavor.

If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can add more sugar than suggested in this recipe, but do not add more sweetened condensed milk than the recommended amount, as this may result in overly sticky dough.

If sweetened condensed milk is unavailable, you can substitute each tablespoon with a combination of 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

5. Cornstarch Incorporation

Take your time adding cornstarch to the mashed potatoes, adding one tablespoon at a time. Aim for a dough that is smooth and pliable. If necessary, make adjustments to the amount of cornstarch to achieve the desired consistency.

Initially, the dough may be quite sticky; in such cases, use a dough scraper to blend the potatoes and cornstarch. As it becomes less sticky, dust your hands with cornstarch and knead the dough until it becomes smooth.

6. Cheese Center

Given that mozzarella cheese only has a mild flavor, its addition is primarily for its gooey and stretchy texture. We can enhance the filling’s flavor profile by coating the cheese with brown sugar, sesame powder, or peanut powder.

When wrapping the mozzarella cheese in the potato dough, ensure a secure seal to prevent any leakage during cooking.

7. Oil Amount

Add enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pan, preventing the pancakes from sticking and ensuring a crispy exterior. I added ½ cup of vegetable oil to a 11.25 inch fry pan.

8. Optional Garnishes

Experiment with different garnishes like roasted sesame seeds or a touch of butter to add extra flavor and visual appeal. Some people also enjoy eating these potato cheese pancakes with ketchup.

EQUIPMENT

• Medium pot
• Potato masher
• Nonstick skillet

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 lb Potatoes (With skins on; The skins will help retain flavor and nutrients.)
• ½ cup cornstarch (Can also use potato starch. You may need to add 1 or 2 extra tablespoons of cornstarch if your potatoes are moisture.)
• 1 tbsp Sweetened condensed milk (It is optional. Or you can mix 1 tbsp of heavy cream with 1 tbsp of sugar as a quick substitute.)
• 2 tbsps sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 8 Ciliegine mozzarella balls (You can also use shredded mozzarella cheese instead.)
• 2 tbsps Dark brown sugar
• Cooking oil for pan frying
• Roasted sesame seeds for decoration (Optional)
• Serve with Butter or ketchup

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Wash the unpeeled potatoes to remove any dirt. Place the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold water, put the lid on. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender, usually around 25 minutes.

2. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and let them cool for a couple of minutes. Peel off the skins once they are not too hot to touch.

3. Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or a fork.

4. Add sweetened condensed milk, salt, and sugar to the mashed potatoes, mix well.

5. Add cornstarch into the mashed potatoes, adding 1 tbsp at a time, ensuring thorough mixing before incorporating the next tbsp of cornstarch. Continue this process until you achieve a smooth and pliable dough consistency. (If the dough feels overly sticky, add more cornstarch. Conversely, if the dough cracks upon pressing, it is too dry, you can add a small amount of milk to enhance its moisture.)

6. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, shape each portion of the dough into a ball. Then use your palms to press each ball into a disc shape.

7. Take a cherry-sized mozzarella cheese ball and roll it on a small plate of dark brown sugar, ensuring it is coated evenly. Wrap the sugared mozzarella cheese ball at the center of each portion of the potato dough, sealing it carefully to prevent any leakage during cooking. Repeat this process until all the potato dough is utilized. Flatten each potato dough portion into a pancake shape using your palms.

8. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add enough cooking oil to coat the bottom. Carefully place the potato cheese pancakes onto the hot pan. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy.

9. Once the potato cheese pancakes are cooked and golden brown on both sides, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Optionally garnish the pancakes with roasted sesame seeds or butter.

10. Serve hot but not burning hot.

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