Chinese Potato Pancakes with Coriander Recipe
Chinese-style potato pancakes are an interesting twist on classic potato pancakes. They are thin, slightly crispy around the edges, and seasoned with garlic and fresh coriander. In northern China they are often eaten for breakfast or as a quick snack with soy sauce for dipping.
In northern China, thin potato pancakes are a quick street snack sold from carts, often eaten “on the go”. Herbs, garlic, and a simple dipping sauce give familiar potatoes a completely different, more spicy and fresh character.
These Chinese-style potato pancakes combine familiar potato comfort with aromatic coriander and a simple soy-vinegar dipping sauce, giving a classic dish a light, crispy and slightly Asian twist.
Why this version works
- Thoroughly squeezing out the potatoes and using their natural starch gives you thin yet cohesive pancakes with very crispy edges.
- Medium heat lets the thin pancakes dry out and brown without burning the garlic and cilantro.
- A simple soy–vinegar dipping sauce boosts the flavor of the potatoes and herbs without weighing them down with a heavy dip.
Chef's tips
Grating the potatoes and then squeezing out as much liquid as possible is key to getting thin, crisp-edged pancakes. Don’t skip adding the potato starch from the bottom of the bowl – it helps bind the batter without needing too much extra flour.
How to serve
Serve as a savory breakfast with a fried egg on top, as a snack with several dipping sauces (soy-vinegar, chili sauce, natural yogurt), or as a side dish to stir-fries or simple vegetable dishes.
Watch out for
- If you see clear pools of liquid after mixing the batter, add a bit of flour or lightly squeeze the potatoes again.
- Pancakes that are too thick will be soft and floury inside; spread the batter thinly until it almost shows through in places.
- Don’t fry on maximum heat – the edges will darken quickly while the center stays pale and undercooked.
Substitutions
- You can replace cilantro with finely chopped flat-leaf parsley if you don’t like its flavor.
- You can substitute the rice vinegar in the sauce with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, slightly diluted with water.
- You can swap white pepper for black pepper, using a bit less because it’s sharper.
Ingredients
- potatoes starchy, for pancakes - 500 g
- egg - 1 piece
- flour - 3 tablespoon
- garlic - 2 clove
- fresh coriander chopped - 2 tablespoon
- salt plus extra for seasoning - 0.5 teaspoon
- white or black pepper - 0.25 teaspoon
- oil for frying - 4 tablespoon
- light soy sauce for serving - 2 tablespoon
- vinegar for serving - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Peel the potatoes and grate them on the coarse side of a grater. Transfer to a sieve set over a bowl and leave for 5 minutes so the excess liquid can drain off.
- Squeeze the potatoes with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Pour off the liquid from the bowl but keep the starch that has settled at the bottom – scrape it out with a spoon and add it to the potatoes.
- Finely chop the garlic or press it through a garlic press. Chop the coriander.
- Add the egg, flour, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick but spoonable. If it is too runny, add a little more flour.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of batter per pancake, gently flattening with the spoon so they are thin.
- Fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, until the pancakes are golden and crispy around the edges. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with rice vinegar – this is a simple dipping sauce.
- Serve the pancakes hot or warm with the dipping sauce.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I like to fry these pancakes a bit longer on the first side so they get extra crispy, and I almost always add a little grated ginger and spring onion to the batter for more depth of flavor.
