These Colombian Potato Cakes (Lapingachos) are a wonderful side dish or appetizer. They are easy to make and full of flavor.
What are Lapingachos?
Lapingachos are a traditional Colombian dish from the El Nariño region of Colombia. They are basically mashed potato cakes cooked until crispy and golden brown.
These delicious potato cakes are typically served with ají de maní (Colombian peanut sauce) as a side dish with fried food and a light salad on the side.
Ingredients
Potatoes, hogao (Colombian creole sauce), achiote, cumin, egg yolks, salt and pepper.
The exact ingredients amounts, directions and cooking tips are in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make Potato Cakes
Cook the potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Drain and mash them. Add the hogao, achiote, cumin, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Cover the potato mixture and let it sit at room temperature for about one hour.
Make small thick patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Heat a nonstick fry pan or griddle over medium-high heat and brush lightly with oil.
Cook the potato cakes for about 2 minutes, carefully flip them and cook on the other side until golden, about 1 minute more. Serve warm.
Are Potato Cakes and Potato Pancakes the Same?
Depending on the cook or country. They can be known by different names and made with different ingredients, but they are very similar.
This potato cakes recipe is very easy to put together and you can even use leftover mashed potatoes to make it easier. Perfect for a dinner party or a weeknight meal. You can serve them with steak, chicken, fish, or any other meat. You could even serve them with roasted vegetables or a green salad for a vegetarian meal.
How Do You Keep Potato Cakes from Falling Apart?
Let the potato cakes rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
Be sure to turn them just one time while cooking to prevent them from falling apart. Like making pancakes.
More Potato Recipes to Try:
Colombian Salted Potato (Papa Salada)
Roasted Potatoes with Avocado Sauce
Potato Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Russet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup of hogao
- 1 teaspoon of ground achiote saffron or color
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 egg yolks lightly beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Ají de mani for serving
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes in salted water over medium high heat until fork tender. Drain and mash them.
- Add the hogao, achiote, cumin, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Cover the potato mixture and let it sit at room temperature for about one hour.
- Make small thick patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
- Heat a nonstick fry pan or griddle over medium-high heat and brush lightly with oil.
- Cook the potato cakes for about 2 minutes, carefully flip them and cook on the other side until golden, about 1 minute more. Serve warm.
Jenn and Seth
those are gorgeous! i'd love to eat these for dinner - they look so delicious!
Aida rankin
It's look yummy I must try it.
Belinda @zomppa
The pancakes look awesome, though admittedly, I'm enamoured by the sauce!
Norma-Platanos, Mangoes and Me!
This will definitely be part of my reserved recipes....
Lyndsey@TheTinySkillet
I just love your snack foods...looks so delicious!
Chris
I thought these were sweet potatoes due to the color but then I saw you used russet and achiote to get that golden color. Nice work, Erica!
Silvia
I swear: the best sweepstakes prize would be to dine at your house for a week. The food you make is amazing. I hope you publish a book some day because you deserve tons of attention! I can only come to this blog right after I've eaten-otherwise a visit here constitutes masochism!
Erica
Thank you,Silvia! I appreciate your wonderful comment 🙂
April
These potato cakes are absolutely fantastic. I served mine with grilled salmon and we loved them. I made another batch and placed them in the fridge for this weekend.
Erica
Thank you!
felix
this failed for me
Erica
Why, Felix?
Alan Bowman
We used to have fried mashed potato as an accompaniment to cold-cuts. Sometimes we would add left over boiled cabbage - "bubble and squeak". The mashed potato can also have grated cheese added and shaped into a patty with a cup-shape on one side into which you crack an egg then put into a hot oven until the egg has set. "eggs in a nest."
Maria
A W E S O M E ! Easy, quick and super yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Caroll
Fantástico! No sabía que se llamaban así. Pública un libro de comida colombiana que hace falta.