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Russian Style Home Fries with Creamy Garlic Sauce…Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ

This is the Russian Holy Grail of comfort food. Ā  Tender and crispy home fries that are sauteed with garlic and onions to achieve savory perfection. Ā And with 5 ingredients it really does not get much simpler.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

[wprm-recipe-jump]
What I am introducing to you today ladies and gentlemen is zharenya kartoshka, literal translation, fried potatoes, or home fries. Ā Ask any Russian, Ukranian, Belarussian, Moldovian (me) or most other Slavic countryman what their ultimate comfort food is and chances are this will be the answer.

Why? Ā Because most of our childhoods were full of dinners, breakfasts and lunches that featured this very magical dish. Ā  It is a humble dish that acted as a rustic side dish to many Russian favorites and sometimes in the hardest of economic times it was the main dish, side dish and appetizer…all in one.

Potatoes were typically easy to come by, or at least easier than meat or poultry, and they were relatively inexpensive. Ā Hence why most of the Slavic foods feature potatoes in so many of their recipes. Ā It is a great filler for growling tummies in the coldest of Russian winters.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

It’s also a great side dish to go along with cold vodka shots, chunks of grilled meat on an open fire and along side a Russian style sasiska aka hot dogs. Ā In fact, the classic zharenaya kartoshka and sasiska breakfast has helped my husband and I get over many hangovers and fulfill our nostalgic thoughts at dinner times.

Munchkin is quite the fan as well…and her breakfast of zharenaya kartoshka, sasiska and small pieces of tomato have served as her breakfast many a times…and she gobbles it up just as we do.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

I remember many a cold evenings when my mom or babushka would fry up these glorious spuds. Ā Babushka would typically make the potatoes and mama would make the kotletki (little ground fried meat Ā patties) along with her signature salad of aromatic tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and bright green scallions and simply dressed in sunflower oil and salt and pepper. Ā The best part was the juice that remained once the salad was gone. Ā We would all use chunks of bread or our potato pieces to dip into the simple tomato juices left behind.

This was dad’s favorite part. Ā To mop up all the juices with a huge chunk of Ā grey rye bread.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

And everyone was happy.

It was simple dinners like this that have left a footprint on my culinary mind…and my heart. Ā Those warm evenings of family and so much love were only complimented by the simple flavors on the table. Ā My mom was a magician of simple flavors and we all felt the love that she put into her food. Ā  And we all miss that to this day.

Today, whenever I make this dish for my family or friends, we all chow down on it whole heartedly, and we all bond over our own individual tales of nostalgia that this dish held for us. Ā It’s a dish we all share our love for. Ā It’s a dish that binds us together as people who love family, friends, loud social gatherings, comfort food and most importantly our memories from our own childhoods. Ā It’s our tales of our lives in the old country before they became over complicated.

Nostalgia. Ā It’s a beautiful thing.

What else is a beautiful thing? Ā This glorious sauce I serve with my potatoes. Ā A simple combination of sour cream, a touch of mayo, chopped dillĀ and fresh garlic. Ā And it is almost always served along side my potatoes.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

We start this dish by peeling our potatoes. Ā For this dish I prefer to use Yukon golds. Ā They remind me of the potatoes we had in Russian and makes me feel authentic.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Next we slice them up into fry like shapes. Ā First by cutting it into thirds lengthwise.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen and then by slicing it across.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Then we pour some oil into a large NON STICK pan. Ā Any oil will do. Ā We used to use a combination of butter and vegetable oil. Ā But honestly any oil will do.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Add in all your potatoes, carefully. Ā Some of the moisture on the potatoes may cause the oil to splatter on you.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Leave it alone for 5 minutes cooking over medium high heat UNCOVERED. Ā And you will get these beautiful colors.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Flip them over to the other side and let them go for another 5 minutes. Ā In the meantime grab a whole onion, peel it and slice it into slices…in fact here’s a tutorial for ya’!

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ Š” Š›Š£ŠšŠžŠœ (8)

And look at these beauties.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Now add in your onions and if necessary a bit more oil. Ā You see those potatoes suck up the oil, so you need to add just a tad more to keep them cooking rather than burning.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Now place the lid on top. Ā For me this is crucial. Ā WHY? Ā Because I like my taters nicely browned on the outside and buttery soft and sweet on the inside. Ā And since we have already fried them up nicely, the insides will now get the opportunity to get soft. HOWEVER if you like them nice and crispy…right now is a great time to stick them in a 450-degree oven until they are done. Just remember to flip them now and then.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Grab your handy dandy microplaner or micro grater and grate up 3 cloves of garlic. Ā Set aside 2 of them to be used in the sauce later on. Ā For now, we need just one for the potatoes…remember the potatoes are the star here not the garlic.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Once your taters are soft, taste for seasoning, turn of the heat and add the garlic. Ā Toss everything together and close the lid for another 2-5 minutes so the garlic flavor seeps in everywhere.

Oh yes…yes this is the best stuff…ever!

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Now lets whip up the sauce…take some mayo, some sour cream, salt, pepper and that grated garlic… oh and a few sprigs of chopped dill. Ā Mix it all up and that’s the magical sauce. Ā It’s a Russian aioli if you will.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Serve it alongside your potatoes…dip..enjoy…and share in our nostalgia.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the KitchenRussian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

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Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ from Girl and the Kitchen

Russian Style Home Fries with Creamy Garlic Sauceā€¦Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠā€¦25 Days of Holiday Treats


  • Author: Mila Furman
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 2 people 1x

Description

This is the Russian Holy Grail of comfort food. Tender and crispy home fries that are sauteed with garlic and onions to achieve savory perfection. And with 5 ingredients it really does not get much simpler.


Ingredients

Scale

For the potatoes:

  • 2.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • salt and pepper to season
  • desired oil
  • chopped dill for garnish or if desired to add to the potatoes at the very end

For the sauce

  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • finely chopped dill
  • salt and pepper for seasoning

Instructions

  1. We start this dish by peeling our potatoes. For this dish I prefer to use Yukon golds. They remind me of the potatoes we had in Russian and makes me feel authentic.
  2. Next we slice them up into fry like shapes.
  3. Then we pour some oil into a large NON STICK pan. Any oil will do. We used to use a combination of butter and vegetable oil. But honestly any oil will do.
  4. Add in all your potatoes, carefully. Some of the moisture on the potatoes may cause the oil to splatter on you.
  5. Leave it alone for 5 minutes cooking over medium high heat UNCOVERED.
  6. Flip them over to the other side and let them go for another 5 minutes. In the meantime grab a whole onion, peel it and slice it into slices…in fact here’s a tutorial for ya’!
  7. Now add in your onions and if necessary a bit more oil. You see those potatoes suck up the oil, so you need to add just a tad more to keep them cooking rather than burning.
  8. Now place the lid on top. For me this is crucial. WHY? Because I like my taters nicely browned on the outside and buttery soft and sweet on the inside. And since we have already fried them up nicely, the insides will now get the opportunity to get soft. HOWEVER if you like them nice and crispy…right now is a great time to stick them in a 450-degree oven until they are done. Just remember to flip them now and then.
  9. Grab your handy dandy microplaner or micro grater and grate up 3 cloves of garlic. Set aside 2 of them to be used in the sauce later on. For now, we need just one for the potatoes…remember the potatoes are the star here not the garlic.
  10. Once your taters are soft, taste for seasoning, turn of the heat and add the garlic. Toss everything together and close the lid for another 2-5 minutes so the garlic flavor seeps in everywhere.
  11. Now lets whip up the sauce…take some mayo, some sour cream, salt, pepper and that grated garlic… oh and a few sprigs of chopped dill. Mix it all up and that’s the magical sauce. It’s a Russian aioli if you will.
  12. Serve it alongside your potatoes…dip..enjoy…and share in our nostalgia.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Potatoes/Side Dish/ Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Russian

In the mood forĀ more Russian style comfort food?

Check out my Galuptsi:

"Galuptsi" - Traditional Russian Cabbage Rolls...Š“Š¾Š»ŃƒŠ±Ń†Ń‹

Or how about one of my favorites…good ole plov.

Russian Home Fries- Š–ŠŠ Š•ŠŠŠÆ ŠšŠŠ Š¢ŠžŠØŠšŠ Š” Š›Š£ŠšŠžŠœ

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30 Comments

    1. Thanks Lizzy…we just had it for dinner last night…and even though a few got a tad burned…it still tastes so amazingly delicious!

  1. I recently found your blog and love your recipes and step by step pictures. I make this dish all the times but never made the sauce with it! I will try it next time I make it. Thank you

  2. Absolutely love the sound of these simple but delicious potatoes, Mila, but what you completely sold me on was your mama’s salad! It really reminds me of the hundreds (thousands?) of Greek salads I ate when I was living there. The best part was always dipping the bread in the juices at the end! šŸ˜‰

  3. I definitely prefer this kind of fries, to the oily “American” style! These look so tasty! And the sauce is perfect! Pinning!

  4. I basically lived on something similar to this that I made when I lived on my own at 17. Who knew I was Moldovian, too! Who could resist? Love the Munchkin’s plate, too BTW. šŸ™‚

    1. Kevin..when I stopped eating meat and realized I could eat THIS EVERYDAY I knew I would be juuuuust fine. Totally salivating as we speak! Munchkin asks for this almost every weekend so I am forced to oblige under the tyrants rule šŸ™‚

    1. Marissa…duh right! We have this Russian restaurant by my office…my hubs went there last week to bring us lunch and he brought me a nice pan seared piece of fish with tons of veggies…and these. We completely devoured them and it was enough for 6 people. Us Ruski’s love our fried potatoes šŸ™‚

    1. OMG is it NOT THE BEST!!!! I Love! Thank yo so much for stopping by!!! I am on my way to your site! I love making new blogging friends! XOXO

  5. Love the recipe and especially the sauce which compliments the potatoes.. I’ve always just plopped a dab of sour cream on them… No more… I’m thinking of a few more dishes which get plain sour cream…

  6. Thanks for bringing back alot of memories growing up. I’m was born into a family from Kishinev, and all four grandparents were born in Romania. These dishes and your memories of family meals are just like the ones I experienced growing up.

    1. Sorry for the delay this went to junk! I am go glad you guys enjoyed! And these comments are exactly why I tell my stories šŸ™‚

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