Potato pancakes with a tofu-mushroom filling {vegan}

(cliccate qui per la versione italiana)

Happy Monday!

Don’t you just love potatoes? I think I may love them in any way…except maybe McDonalds-style fries. But fried (sweet) potato wedges with flaky sea salt? Mmmm. So, one day I was thinking “what if I make a HUGE GNOCCO (singular for gnocchi), and fill it with something delicious?” I mean, is that even a thing Then I discovered that, indeed, something like this is called a potato cake. But, to me, potato pancake sounds better. So here are my pancakes! Gnocchi dough filled with tofu, mushrooms and onion seasoned with soy sauce, sesame seeds and fresh coriander. Easy peasy.

The process looks super long but honestly it’s just harder to explain than to make!

POTATO PANCAKES WITH A TOFU-MUSHROOM FILLING {vegan}
by Marta Giaccone

Recipe
6 pancakes
prep time: 20 mins, cooking time: 35 mins, total time: 55 mins

500 gr potatoes of about the same size, with skin on
90 gr firm tofu
100 gr mushrooms
soy sauce or coconut aminos
2 cloves of garlic
½ onion
light oil
fresh coriander
sesame seeds
65 gr AP flour
salt

Method

1. Wash and scrub potatoes, put them in a pot of water, bring to a boil and let cook for 20 minutes or until they are fully fork-tender. Drain and let cool.
2. For the tofu, mushrooms and onion: you can sauté all of them together, or separately. If together: finely mince the garlic, sauté it in a large pan or wok with some oil, then, once slightly golden, add tofu, mushrooms and onions, all finely sliced or diced. Don’t add salt! Let cook on medium-high heat, stirring often, until tender. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, stir, let cook for another couple of minutes or until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed.
3. If cooking separately (like I did), you will need 3 small pans (unless you want to cook one after the other). Mince one garlic clove, sauté it in a little oil, then add diced tofu and let cook, stirring, for a few minutes until golden. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce, cook for another minute or so. Set aside. Mince the other garlic clove, sauté in a little oil, then add sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt and let cook for a few minutes until all liquid has been absorbed. Set aside. Heat up a little oil, add finely sliced or minced onion and a pinch of salt, sauté on medium-low heat until translucent. Combine tofu, mushrooms, onion, a small handful of sesame seeds and fresh coriander, chopped. Stir, taste and add salt if needed.
4. Peel and mash potatoes, add a pinch of salt and the flour, gradually. Mix with a fork to incorporate the flour. After a while you may mix with your hand.
5. Heat up a non-stick pan over medium heat and add a tbsp light oil.
6. Grease your hands with a little oil. I suggest you do all of the following with your hands, it will be messy but easier! Take a walnut-sized piece of dough, flatten it on one palm, then with your other hand take about a spoonful of filling, put it over the flattened dough, then take another piece of dough, try to flatten it between your fingers, place it over the filling and pinch the edges together. Add more dough if needed. Fry the pancake for about 2 minutes on each side, covered. You can give it a round shape with a spatula while it’s cooking.
7. Repeat with all the dough and filling.
8. You can store the cooked pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days, then reheat them in the same way as you cooked them.