Greek Potato Pancakes (Begli)
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 60 min. (Tzatziki should be prepared 1 hour before)
This simple dish made of cooked potatoes and tomatoes is a specialty of the Cyclades Islands in Greece. They are sold on the streets as a quick bite. It can be a delicious, light vegetarian lunch when paired with Tzatziki, a cucumber yoghurt sauce. On the Cyclades Islands Begli are often part of the Mezédes, the small appetizers Greeks love so much, especially with a chilled glass of Ouzo, the anise flavored schnapps.
Ingredients
(Potato Pancakes only)
- 750 gr (1 1/2 lbs) potatoes, skin left on
- 250 gr (1/2 lbs) tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 125 gr (1/4 lbs) Kefalotiri (Greek hard cheese) or Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs beaten
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp flour
- olive oil for frying
Preparation:
This dish is best served with Tzatziki, which should be prepared an hour before.
Put coarsely chopped tomatoes in a sieve and let them drain well. Make sure that all extra moisture is completely gone. Any excessive moisture will result in cakes falling apart when fried.
Meanwhile bring water to a boil. Add salt to taste and cook the potatoes for about 25 minutes. Drain and let potatoes cool a bit. Peel and mash them while still warm. Set aside in a bowl. Add the well drained tomatoes , the hard cheese, the beaten eggs, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the flour by the tablespoons mixing well after each addition. If mixture is still runny add a few more tablespoons of flour. The potato-tomato mixture should hold well on a spoon.
Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and add about 2 tbsp of the potato-tomato mix per cake to the frying pan. Fry a few at a time over medium high heat for about 5 minutes on each side or until they nicely golden brown. Add more olive oil to the pan and continue frying the cakes. Do not overcrowd the pan. It will be difficult to turn the cakes on the other side. The center of the cakes is still soft and cakes can break easily.
Keep them warm in 100°C (200°F) oven until you are finished. Serve with the Tzatziki.
