Cooking : Quarkkeulchen

I Love Quark. There I have said it. Loud and clear. Ever since Deeba has introduced me to this wonderful cheese, I have been looking out for different ways to use it in my cooking. Up-til now I have used it in my desserts, in my dips, in ravioli pasta, I even have my quark with fresh fruits anytime. Every time I used it, I have got nothing but rave reviews from my guinea pigs. Did I tell you I have got two very fussy eaters?and what do you know, both of them just devoured quarkkeulchen leaving me with nada. I have to beg and (literally) lick their plates to get a taste. Jokes apart, I m really glad my kids love this because quark is full of protein, a vital building block we need daily to stay fit and healthy. It is loaded with minerals, including calcium, which is so important for bones and teeth. Being a mom really makes me appreciate these facts about  quark.

As I was browsing through some of my favourite blogs (favourite pass-time) I came across this beautiful post about Quarkkeulchen by Meeta. For those who are new to the food blog world, Meeta is the force behind one of the finest food blogs in the world. On February 2009 Times Online UK selected What's For Lunch, Honey? as one of the World's Top 50 Best Food Blogs.

Coming back to quarkkeuclchen, these are typically made of boiled potatoes, quark cheese, flour and raisins and served with generous dollops of applesauce. Fritters, flat dumplings, pancakes - they have been called all sorts of names. They are generally eaten during lunch time or as a afternoon snack.

According to Wikipedia:
Quarkkäulchen (also Quarkkeulchen in German) is a Saxon dish made from dough containing about two-thirds mashed potatoes, one-third quark cheese, eggs and flour, and perhaps spiced with cinnamon or dotted with raisins. The dough is traditionally baked in linseed oil into small pancakes. These are served hot, usually with sugar, fruits or other sweet side dishes.

 I gave an Indian twist to this humble German Quarkkeulchen. I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I loved making them and my kids devouring them.


Quarkkeulchen:
Ingredients:
200 grams boiled potatoes
100 grams quark cheese
2 eggs, separated
50 grams all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
salt to taste
1 tablespoon corriander, chopped
butter to fry the quarkkeulchen

Method:
Peel the boiled potatoes. Place them in a large bowl and mash finely with a potato masher.  Add quark, egg yolks, flour, salt, chilli flakes, ginger garlic paste and corriander or cilantro and mix with a wooden spoon to a smooth batter. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Do not overbeat the egg whites. Using a metal spatula gently fold the egg whites into the quark batter. Allow the batter to rest in fridge for 20 minutes. Melt some butter in a pan. Using two tablespoons, drop about a tablespoon of batter into the hot pan and gently flatten with the back of a spoon. Fry the quarkkeulchen on each side for 2 minutes or until they are golden colour.  Enjoy your delicious quarkkeulchens with you family or friends.