Turkish Potato Cake

When we were in Turkey we never saw this dish. I don't know if it wasn't available in restaurants, or if we just didn't notice it, or go to quite the right places. When I started looking at Turkish recipes on line, though, I started seeing it everywhere. It's very quick and simple to put together - basically like making muffins plus a little chopping of vegetables. I would be quite tempted to bake this in muffin pans, in fact, especially if I had rather large ones. I did mine in a 10" pie plate and it worked fine.

Do be sure to dice those potatoes quite finely - as thin as 1/2 cm in at least one dimension, to allow them to cook through.

A number of recipes I saw also called for up to cup of diced cheese to be added, if you would like that. It looks like I have added diced ham, but in fact some of my potatoes were Red Thumb.

This is a cake, but not as we know it. It is not sweet, and it is not even a bread to be eaten as a side dish with other things. It is quite rich even without any cheese and needs only a green salad to make it a complete meal. It's a bit quiche-like but still breadish. Like quiche, I'd eat it as a breakfast or brunch dish too. It will be delightful in any of the cooler months, although fresh herbs will be possible only in the warmer of the cooler months. They are certainly better but dried ones will do.


8 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 20 minutes prep time
     - let cool at least 20 minutes

Mix the Dry Ingredients: 
1 cup soft unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a measuring cup or small bowl; mix 'em.

Mix the Wet Ingredients:
1 cup thick yogurt
3 large eggs
1/3 cup olive or sunflower seed oil

In a bigger mixing bowl, into which everything will ultimately go; mix 'em.

Prepare the Vegetables:
4 medium potatoes (300 grams; 10 ounces; 2 cups diced)
1 medium onion
2 or 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dry dillweed OR 1 tablespoon fresh minced
1 teaspoon dry rubbed mint OR 1 tablespoon fresh minced
a spoonful of paprika, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, etc

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil and flour a 10" pie plate or 9" square baking pan.

Wash and peel or trim the potatoes, and cut them into quite fine dice. They are going to have to bake, in a cake, in under an hour. Peel and finely chop the onion.

Wash, dry, and mince the herbs if fresh. Otherwise, with the potatoes and onions, mix them into the yogurt and eggs. Mix in the flour to make a soft dough.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. If you are so inclined, sprinkle over a little paprika, or sesame or nigella seeds. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until firm and lightly browned around the edges. Let cool to warm or room temperature before serving.




Last year at this time I made Cucidata - Italian Fig Cookies.

Posted in: Ontario Food