Many people look for something tasty, crisp and quick to make for breakfast or to beat hunger in the afternoon. Potatoes can be turned into many kinds of snack, but a potato pancake is one of the easiest.

In Switzerland this popular dish is known as rosti. It is one of the country's traditional foods, prized around the world for its crunchy outside and soft inside.

It can be served for breakfast or as a side dish with steak, grilled chicken, sausages or other heavy meals. It takes very few ingredients and little time, so it is easy to make at home and serve to the whole family.

First parboil the potatoes in plenty of water with a little salt. Take care that they are not fully cooked; otherwise they will break up when grated and the rosti will lose its crisp texture. When the potatoes have cooled, peel and grate them.

In a large bowl, mix the grated potato well with chopped onion, green chilli, coriander leaves, flour, salt and ground black pepper.

Heat a little oil or butter in a non-stick pan. Put the potato mixture in the pan and use a spoon or spatula to shape it into a round, flat pancake. Fry over a medium flame for 8-10 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp.

Then place a large plate upside down over the pan and carefully turn the pan over so the rosti comes out on to the plate. Slide it gently back into the pan and fry the other side for another 8-10 minutes.

When both sides are golden and crisp, take it off the heat, cut into pieces as you like and serve hot. It can be served with yoghurt, sour cream, chilli sauce or tomato ketchup.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.