Potatoes a good bet for sweet dishes

JAKARTA (JP): Versatile potatoes can be the main ingredient in a sweet cake, as in the first recipe below, or a variation on traditional perkedel spicy croquettes.

Potato Cake 400 grams boiled potatoes 6 chicken eggs 250 grams fine sugar 1 tablespoon raising agent 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 150 grams flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 100 grams margarine, melted 1 teaspoon lime peel, shaved 100 grams raisins 1 tablespoon margarine (to grease the baking pan) 2 tablespoons of flour (to dust the cake tin)

(Makes six servings)

* 1. Peel the boiled potatoes and mash when still hot. * 2. Mix the eggs, sugar, raising agent and vanilla until the mixture is white and of a thick consistency. * 3. Add flour, potatoes and baking powder, mix evenly, adding margarine and shaved lime peel. Stir evenly. * 4. Add the raisins. Pour the batter into a greased and floured cake tin. * 5. Bake in a moderate oven until the top of the cake is a brownish color and thoroughly cooked. If desired, a glazing can be made from 200 grams of fine sugar mixed with three to four tablespoonfuls of boiling water or lime juice.

Smoked Meat Perkedel

A croquette of spicy ground meat and mashed potatoes, although corn and other types of starch are sometimes used.

1 kilogram potatoes, boiled 400 grams oil for frying 1 chicken egg, separated 100 grams smoked meat, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons fried onions 1 tablespoon chopped celery 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) 15 quail eggs, boiled and shelled

(makes 15 servings)

* 1. Peel the potatoes, wash and dice them. Fry until cooked and mash while still warm. * 2. Mix the potatoes with the yolk, smoked

meat, fried onion, celery, nutmeg, pepper and salt. * 3. Take one tablespoonful of the mixture, dip it in the egg

white and fry until golden brown. Drain completely.

Recipes courtesy of Kreasi Hidangan Kentang (Presenting Potato Creations) by Wahyuni Mulyawati and Ilse Harahap (Gramedia Pustaka Utama/2000).