I have a visitor from England today who inspired me to look into the English dishes. With Britain on the brain, bubble and squeak popped as the first dish. Easy to make, I didn’t have to think twice about making them as the main ingredients potatoes and peas are always kept handy in my pantry/frig.
And let me tell you, the British surely have a knack when it comes to naming their dishes.
Bubble and Squeak? Come on, that’s a brilliant name for a dish.
Indians have it as a snack with tamarind chutney and some raw accompaniments such as the mint chutney and sliced spanish onion.
Bubble and Squeak Cakes Recipe: (Makes 10-12 Cakes)
Vegan Bubble and Squeak Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg Potatoes I used the common brushed potatoes but any kind will work
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas - thawed
- 1 Cup bread crumbs
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped green coriander
- 1 cup plain flour for coating optional - season with salt and pepper
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Put washed potatoes in a large pot and cover them with well-salted water. Boil 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of potatoes) until cooked. A sharp knife easily slides into the well cooked potatoes.
- Drain, cool and peel potatoes. The skin peels off easily with whole cooked potatoes. Do not use cold water to cool potatoes as that will allow potatoes to absorb more water.
- Put peeled potatoes and thawed peas in a mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher until no chunky pieces remain.
- Mix all other ingredients (except oil for frying and plain flour for coating) with potato and pea mash and form into a dough.
- Divide mixture into 10 rough patties. Gently form each one into a smooth, hockey puck like shape. Dip the cake in the flour. Be gentle, and do this for each patty.
- Heat a large, cast-iron skillet or non-stick shallow pan over medium heat with oil in it.
- Fry 3-4 patties at a time for 2-3 minutes a side, until golden brown. You may need to re-dip them in flour right before putting them in the oil, so keep it handy. Use two spatulas (or a spatula and a flat wooden spoon) to turn the cakes carefully.
- Place fried cakes on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bubble and Squeak are beautiful served with raw mint chutney as a snack or as a side dish. Cranberry sauce or your favorite gravy will go very nicely.
Notes
To reheat, preheat oven to 375º F. Once all the cakes are fried, you can place the whole sheet of them in the oven for 15 minutes to re-heat and re-crisp them in time for your meal. You can also refrigerate them for up to three days (reheating in the same manner), or freeze them for a month.
