Between ma’akouda and ejja, between vegetable fritters and small patties: meet the most delicious patties you’ll ever taste. They include potatoes and plenty of herbs that add both wonderful flavor and striking color.
I like serving them with yogurt or sour cream, but you can also tuck them into pita with salad and tahini for breakfast or dinner. They also keep very well in the fridge and freezer.
Please note: it is recommended to use a spatula when flipping the patties since they are relatively soft. Even if they look unstable, I promise they firm up beautifully and become stable after frying on the second side.
To bake them, you need to add a bit more flour so they do not become too runny in the pan. Simply add 3–4 extra tablespoons of flour, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brushed with olive oil, and bake at 190°C until golden. It is recommended to flip them after 15 minutes.
Ma’akouda patties
Ingredients:
- 3 large potatoes or 5–6 small ones, peeled
- 4 eggs
- 1 yolk
- 1/2 bunch parsley leaves
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 6 scallions or 1/2 bunch chives
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 level tsp salt
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp black or white pepper
- 3 tbsp flour (white, spelt or lentil flour)
- 1 tsp chicken soup powder (optional)
Instructions:
Cook the peeled potatoes in a pot of well-salted boiling water until soft. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Mash the potatoes into a puree. It is fine if a few small lumps remain.
Finely chop the parsley, cilantro and scallions and add to the mash.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Heat a pan with oil about 1/2 cm deep over medium heat. Once hot, add a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and gently flatten with the back of the spoon.
Fry on both sides until golden. The batter may look very soft and slightly runny around the edges, but it will set during frying. Turning them can be a bit tricky at first, and that is expected. They firm up after frying on both sides, just use a spatula.