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a round jar with apple sauce surrounded by Kartoffelpuffer
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5 from 3 votes

German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer / Reibekuchen)

These delicious crispy potato pancakes are a favorite with children and adults alike. Serve sweet with some cinnamon and sugar or apple sauce. It also goes great with sauerkraut or smoked salmon.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine German
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 273kcal
Author Marita

Equipment

  • manual grater or kitchenmachine
  • spatular
  • fryingpan

Ingredients

  • 1 kg potatoes 35 oz, waxy
  • 3 onions
  • 3 eggs
  • salt and pepper

To serve

  • 1 jar apple sauce or compote

Instructions

  • Peel the onions. Then grate them roughly with a hand grater, or if you prefer a kitchen machine
  • Peel the potatoes and grate them with the hand grater or kitchen machine. Place the grated potatoes into a kitchen towel and squeeze out all the starchy water in a bowl. 
  • Whisk the eggs and combine them with the potato and onion. Season generously with salt and pepper (optional add some muscat). 
  • Now slowly pour out almost all the starchy potato water from the bowl. At the bottom of the bowl, you will find the remaining starch. Pour out the water and add the starch to the potato mixture as it will help the consistency (see picture).
  • Add a generous amount of oil or clarified butter to a large frying pan. The bottom of the pan should be entirely covered. Once the oil is heated, add your potato mixture into the pan. The size is up to your preference, mine had about 15 cm in diameter. Press them flat with the back of a fork, as you do not want them to be too thick. 
  • Fry your potato pancakes at medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side. They should have a golden colour. Test the first one, to check that they are cooked all the way through. 
  • Line a plate with some kitchen towel and place your finished Kartoffelpuffer in it. You can put your oven on low heat to keep them warm while you fry the remaining ones. 
  • Serve with apple sauce or see main blog posts for more suggestions.

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 1218mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg