Recipe: Midwest Mashed Potatoes Marries Indian Spiced Pancakes
Happy Leftover Thanksgiving Day(s)! Arguably, days that are even better than Thanksgiving itself. The major cooking work is over, and awkward family politics are behind you (hopefully). Of course, you’ve overestimated the amount of food you needed and now you’ll be eating Thanksgiving leftovers for the next 7-12 days. Time to get creative!
Mashed potatoes are a staple of any Thanksgiving spread. The inspiration for this leftovers recipe comes from the mix of cultures in my Thanksgiving gatherings. Between my Indian roots and my husband’s midwestern traditions, we try to marry various palettes and create heightened leftover experiments. And, of course fried food is in the mix, which makes everything taste better. So go ahead and try these Indian Spiced Pancakes for breakfast/brunch/lunch while you’re recovering from your full day of cooking and drinking!
RECIPE
A repurposed mashed potato pancake that will keep your taste buds guessing beyond the traditional Thanksgiving dishes.
☺ Mood desired: Exhausted, but ready to try something creative!
✔ Good for: Breakfast, brunch, or lunch
☯ Goes well with: Sour cream or leftover cranberry sauce for dipping
Yield: 10-12 patties
INGREDIENTS:
| 2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes (in my case, buttery garlic mashed potatoes) |
| ½ cup of leftover raw finely chopped vegetables from Thanksgiving crudite/salad (in my case, yellow/orange bell peppers, broccoli) |
| 1 tablespoon of finely chopped scallions or chives |
| 2 tablespoon of cornmeal, corn flour, or bread crumbs (your preferred binding agent) |
| ½ teaspoon of cumin |
| ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne powder |
| 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds |
| ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder |
| 1 teaspoon of salt |
| 1 teaspoon of black pepper |
| 2 tablespoons of cooking oil |
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium size mixing bowl, mix mashed potatoes, vegetables, scallions/chives, binding agent, and spices
Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil on a large frying pan or skillet. Use a ¼ measuring cup to scoop individual potato mixture and fry 5-6 pancakes on the skillet for 3 minutes each side until a golden brown color is achieved (may need to fry in 2-3 batches).
Salt the pancakes as they come off the pan, and garnish with scallions/chives, or even bacon bits (if that’s your thing)!
BACKSTORY
Being married to a good ole’ midwesterner has its benefits, one of which is being exposed to all the quintessential Thanksgiving dishes that were not emphasized during my childhood. As an Indian-American, our Thanksgiving spread looked like a potluck at the U.N.. For example, samosa and chili appetizers, an Italian entrée, and Indian desserts. Although mashed potatoes may not have made the cut, it did what Thanksgiving does best, which is bringing family together around good food. Now that I’ve combined my Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws, I’ve had the privilege of partaking in large Indiana Thanksgiving dinners, where I’ve witnessed and consumed traditional Thanksgiving dishes with recipes passed down through generations. It’s what makes Thanksgiving both special and sentimental.
Now, regardless of how you make your mashed potatoes, classic gold, russet, or sweet potatoes, you’ve most lilkely overestimated the quantity needed. The next day, you may be mashed potatoe-d out. But as long as my mom is in the kitchen, leftover mashed potatoes will not escape some type of Indian transformation with an infusion of spice. As a fun next day breakfast item, we started throwing some leftovers together and boom, we were in business. The mashed potato leftovers took on another level - Indian spiced potato pancakes.
💡 LOYALIST INSIDER TIPS! When you’re in the kitchen making these pancakes, running on Thanksgiving-fumes, there is one simple Loyal-List tip to keep in mind: the binding agent is key. The first time we made these, we used leftover dosa batter. However, knowing that not everyone just happens to have leftover dosa batter lying around, I’ve adapted this recipe. You can replace the batter with corn meal, flour, or breadcrumbs. Whatever your preferred binding agent is, it will ensure the pancakes do not fall apart when frying, and depending on your mashed potato texture, use a keen eye to assess if you need to add more or less of your binding agent.
I hope everyone enjoyed their smaller, but hopefully intimate, Thanksgiving gatherings this year. Take advantage of the leftovers and get cracking on some culturally mixed potato pancakes!