Discover lokše: Slovakia's versatile potato flatbread
At first glance, you might mistake them for pancakes that turned out quite thick. However, the list of ingredients quickly dispels that notion. In Slovakia, this tasty treat delights with its flavour and simplicity.
Lokše is a traditional Slovak delicacy that is often mistakenly called a potato tortilla. While there are indeed potatoes in the dough, it more closely resembles a pancake or flatbread. It's a delicious recipe for a meal that doesn't cost a fortune.
Slovak pancakes
This Slovak dish is somewhat like a mix between pancakes and potato cakes. They are flat and soft, with slightly crispy edges. The simplified name, without unusual characters, is loksze. Their base is potatoes that have been boiled in their skins and mashed. In Slovakia, they are often served as a side to meat dishes, for example, instead of potatoes. They can also be served sweet, with jam or poppy seeds.
In my home, they reign supreme as a sweet dish, filled with plum preserves or strawberry jam. This is how they're typically eaten in the western part of Slovakia, whereas, on the other side of the country, savoury versions are more popular. As one of the oldest dishes in the country, it's worth getting to know its taste and making loksze in your own home.
Ingredients:
- 400g of potatoes,
- 120-130g of all-purpose flour,
- a pinch of salt,
- 2 tablespoons of butter.
Preparation:
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft.
- Drain, cool, and mash them.
- Add salt and flour, and knead until the mixture no longer sticks to your hands. If necessary, add a bit more flour.
- Divide the dough into smaller balls.
- Roll each piece into a flatbread about 2-3mm thick.
- Heat a dry pan thoroughly and place the flatbreads on it one at a time.
- Toast on both sides until they start to brown and have dark brown spots.
- Remove the loksze to a plate and brush with melted butter. For a savoury version, you can choose lard.
Cover the flatbreads with another plate if you want them to stay warm longer. Now, just add your favourite toppings, and they're ready. They taste superb when spread with plum preserves, rolled up, and sprinkled with a mixture of ground poppy seeds, melted butter, and powdered sugar. Enjoy!
