Welcome to a taste of true Eastern European comfort food! Potato cutlets, or "kotlety" as they are lovingly called, are a staple in many households, cherished for their simplicity and heartwarming flavor. This recipe takes the humble potato to a new level, creating soft, pillowy patties with a crispy golden crust. Inside, you'll discover a rich and savory filling of earthy mushrooms, tender beans, and sweet sautéed onions. It's a dish that feels like a warm hug, perfect for a cozy family dinner.
Potato cutlets with mushroom filling
Ingredients for Potato Cutlets with Mushroom Filling
- 700 g potatoes
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 15 g potato starch
- 1 egg
- 30 g butter
- 150 g onion
- 150 g cooked mushrooms
- 120 g canned beans
- 200 g smetana (or full-fat sour cream)
- 1 bunch of fresh herbs (dill and green onions)
- oil for frying, salt, pepper
How to Make Potato Cutlets with Mushroom Filling
First, let’s prepare the filling for the potato cutlets. Finely chop the onion. Drizzle a frying pan with vegetable oil, add the butter, then add the onion and sprinkle with salt. Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent and soft.
Place the sautéed onion in a deep bowl and sprinkle with pepper.
Place the fried onions in a bowl and sprinkle with pepper
Finely chop the boiled mushrooms and quickly fry them in the same pan used for the onions. Transfer the fried mushrooms to the bowl.
I made these potato cutlets with a mushroom filling using a mix of wild mushrooms—chanterelles, birch boletes, and slippery jacks. Instead of wild mushrooms, you can easily use champignons (button mushrooms), which are available year-round.
Drain the canned beans in a sieve, rinse with boiled water, and add them to the bowl. You can also boil dry beans instead of using canned ones. This will take about 2 hours, but you’ll avoid preservatives and food additives!
Mash the filling ingredients with a fork to create a thick paste. There’s no need to use a blender; a fork will do the job perfectly.
Transfer the fried mushrooms to the bowl with the onions
Add the prepared canned beans to the bowl
Mash the filling ingredients
Next, let’s make the potato dough. Boil the peeled potatoes until tender, mash them into a puree, and let it cool to room temperature.
Crack a raw chicken egg into the mashed potatoes, add the all-purpose flour and potato starch, season with salt, and knead the dough.
Sprinkle a cutting board with all-purpose flour. Take two tablespoons of the potato dough and form a small, flat cake. Place a spoonful of the filling in the center, bring the edges together to seal it, and coat the cutlet in flour.
Mash the boiled potatoes into a puree
Knead the potato dough
Form a patty from the potato dough and filling
Heat vegetable oil for frying in a pan. Place the potato cutlets with mushroom filling in the pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Alternatively, you can bake them in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F).
Fry the potato cutlets until golden brown on both sides
Now, let’s make the sauce. Finely chop a bunch of fresh herbs. Green onions and dill pair wonderfully with potatoes and mushrooms.
Sprinkle the chopped herbs with salt and gently crush them to release their juices, then mix in the smetana (a type of sour cream common in Eastern Europe).
Sprinkle the chopped herbs with salt, crush them, and add smetana
Serve the potato cutlets with mushroom filling hot with the smetana sauce, garnish with fresh dill, and season with pepper to taste.
Serve the potato cutlets hot with the smetana sauce
And there you have it—beautiful, golden potato cutlets ready to be enjoyed! The creamy smetana sauce with fresh dill and green onions is the traditional and, in my opinion, the best way to serve them, as it perfectly complements the earthy filling. These cutlets are fantastic served hot as a main course, perhaps with a simple cucumber and tomato salad on the side. They also make for delicious leftovers, great for a quick lunch the next day. I hope this recipe brings warmth and joy to your kitchen. Enjoy!
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