Potato pancakes are made two ways: shaped from boiled potatoes or grated from raw ones. The second is quicker and gives thin, crisp cakes — but the uneven shape makes frying uneven too.

The recipe was shared by the culinary section of gazeta.pl.

What the 1:1 method is

The idea is simple: half the potatoes are grated on the large holes, the rest on the medium ones. Coarse shreds give structure and crisp edges; fine ones act as a binder and fill the gaps. Together they make a batter that fries evenly instead of falling apart.

The second rule matters just as much: the grated vegetables must be squeezed dry. Wet batter not only holds its shape poorly — the oil starts spitting.

What you will need

  • 1 kilogram of potatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 medium onions
  • 2–3 tablespoons of plain flour
  • salt and black pepper
  • oil for frying
Thin lacy potato pancakes
A thin pancake cooks through evenly and does not stay raw inside. Photo: phbcz, iStock

How to cook them

  1. Grate the potatoes using the 1:1 method — first on the large holes, then on the medium ones.
  2. Grate the onion into the same bowl on the medium holes.
  3. Transfer the grated vegetables to a clean cloth and squeeze out the excess water firmly.
  4. Return them to the bowl, add the eggs, flour and seasoning. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Pour oil into the pan and heat it well.
  6. Spoon in a portion of batter and flatten it slightly into a pancake.
  7. Fry for 2–3 minutes until the pancakes firm up and brown, then turn them.
  8. Move the finished pancakes onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain the fat.
The texture of grated potato
Half the potato on a fine grater, half on a coarse one — hence the crisp strands at the edges. Photo: webandi, Pixabay

Serve with sour cream, or in Ukrainian tradition with crackling or a mushroom sauce. Do not make the batter in advance: grated potato darkens within minutes.