Hanukkah (or Chanukah, or many other spellings) began in the evening of Sunday, December 2, and ends in the evening of Monday, December 10. Whether you observe this particular holiday or not, some of the food and symbolism associated with Hanukkah are delightful indeed. In the Northern Hemisphere, the weather is getting colder, so why not warm up with some tasty latkes?
Traditional Hanukkah Potato Latkes
Ingredients
- 2 ½ to 3 pounds potatoes
- 2 onions (peeled)
- 3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ to ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canola oil (for frying)
- Garnish: applesauce or sour cream for serving
Directions
- Peel the potatoes. Place them in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover them, so they won’t turn brown. When ready to prepare the latkes, drain the potatoes.
- Place potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with a knife blade (also known as the s-blade). Pulse until smooth. Drain the mixture well.
- Pour the potato mixture into a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Add enough flour so that the mixture holds together.
- Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Carefully drop 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil. Flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook. Repeat with additional batter, taking care not to crowd the pan.
- Fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to the paper towel-lined platter to drain, and continue frying the the remaining latke batter in batches.
- Serve immediately with applesauce or sour cream if desired.
(Source: The Spruce Eats)
Learn more about Hanukkah with this video: “Who were the Macabees?” Thanks to Soror Vlos for the tip!
