Latkes

You guessed it! Another Chanukah recipe!

This recipe (which I've adapted a wee bit) was posted quite sometime ago on VegNews by one of their columnists, Robin Robertson. It was featured on Girlie Girl Army and Alicia Silverstone's website as well. I've tried several different vegan latke recipes in the past. Some called for matzoh meal which did help to hold them together, but I wasn't a big fan of the taste. This recipe got two thumbs up from me and my experienced latke-eating friends who couldn't remember why all latkes aren't vegan...



Vegan Latkes
What You'll Need:
1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated 
1 small yellow onion, peeled and grated 
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced 
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
Canola oil, for frying 

What You'll Need to Do:
Using your hands, squeeze out the excess liquid from the potatoes into a separate bowl. Add the onion to your potatoes along with the parsley, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and mix well. 

Preheat you oven to 250 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat a thin layer of oil. Take a heaping tablespoon of batter and flatten it before gently placing it in the hot oil. Make three or four more potato pancakes this way, and add to skillet without crowding pan. Fry until golden brown (or a bit darker, if you like 'em that way!) on both sides, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Repeat with remaining potato mixture, adding more oil as necessary. Remove the cooked potato pancakes to paper towels to drain, then transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep warm in the oven until all pancakes are cooked.

My Thoughts:
This was enough to feed three very hungry people--multiply accordingly!

Grating: you can do it the old fashioned way (see below), but I found that after just one potato I was a bit exhausted! I was so grateful for the food processor my boyfriend's brother and sister-in-law gave us when I moved to New York in the fall--in just a few minutes it had beautifully grated more potatoes than I thought we could eat! This was my first time using the food processor for latkes, and it was somehow even easier than I'd imagined.



Also, a heaping tablespoon of the "latke mix" makes for some pretty small latkes. I think it's fun this way--you can easily eat them in about two bites--but if you want something more substantial you can always make them bigger, just be sure to keep them thin so they can cook nicely all the way through! 

And I know the recipe already says it but do be very conscious about overcrowding the pan. I've made this recipe twice since Sunday (and I'm making it again before Chanukah is over! I love latkes...and apple sauce and sour cream....) and the second time I was super hungry, and without even thinking I filled my pan to the gills! The result is that the oil cools, your latkes don't crisp or brown well and they soak up too much oil, making for undercooked, soggy latkes (and nobody wants that!). 

Serve with applesauce and vegan sour cream (I like the Follow Your Heart brand). Yum!