Latkes – Crispy Potato Pancakes
The weather has finally changed!!!! Spring is just a little late but at least it is finally here. Time to get the shorts and flip flops out and enjoy. A long hike in the lap of mother nature does sound just right… Isn’t it?? Or maybe a day out at a local fair with good friends isn’t bad either. As if the day wasn’t good enough on its own then that very outing gave me the inspiration for this tantalizingly inviting Latkes – Crispy Potato Pancake recipe. These Potato Pancakes are ready in a matter of minutes and to top it off they are ohh so satisfying!!!!
Weekend Fun
I always thought that spring typically began some time in March. But it seems this year was a little different because the weather Gods seemed to be mad at us. So as punishment there was quiet a bit of chill in the air in April too. But finally it seems as if the Gods relented and the weather began warming up in the last couple of weeks. Which meant the cat was out of the bag!!! i.e. wifey dear and I went hiking to a beautiful state park just 20 miles outside the city last weekend.
This weekend a couple of our good friends got discounted tickets to the local state fair. Luckily they were kind enough to invite us as well. So off we went for a day of fun and frolicking. It was pretty much the standard stuff at the fare with the rides, petting zoo etc etc… But it is the company of good friends that made it special. With all of us being ardent foodies quite a bit of conversation between us tends to obviously be food-centric and this day was no exception.
Classic Jewish Cuisine
After the inevitable conversation about Indian food the chatter turned to a type of cuisine which they are intimately familiar with i.e. classic Jewish recipes. Wifey and I on the other hand had no clue about it so it was definitely a learning experience for us. Getting to know the uniquely different matzoh ball soup, the beautifully braided challah bread and not to forget the lusciously rich shakshuka.
It felt like a million ideas for the next blog post were swimming in my head. So I simply took the easiest recipe they mentioned during the conversation and decided to run with it. The recipe I am talking about is the divinely tempting Latkes better known as Crispy Potato Pancakes.
Potato Latkes for Breakfast or for Snacking..
The recipe is as simple as shredding the potatoes, adding seasonings to it, binding it with flour and eggs and shallow frying spoonfuls of the mixture to crunchy perfection. The end result is a snack which in my mind can be completely satisfying breakfast or the perfect snack. It can be enjoyed while sitting on the patio reading your favorite book.
Latkes – Potato Pancake recipe!!!
I would say these pancakes are somewhat of a blank canvas so the options for seasonings are plentiful. I decided to incorporate the flavors of Mumbai street food in this recipe. So I added amchur powder for a little tang, mint powder for a hint of freshness and for the piece de resistance a sprinkling of the chaat masala.
Once these mini flavor packed pancakes are ready then y’all can enjoy them by itself or with any dipping sauce. My choice was a creamy cilantro-yogurt chutney which went perfectly well with these pancakes.
Tips to make Potato Pancake
- The highly starchy russet potatoes are perfect for this recipe.
- Use a food processor for shredding the potatoes.
- Squeeze as much moisture as possible from the potatoes.
- Flatten out the pancakes so they cook uniformly.
- A cast-iron skillet is ideal for frying these pancakes.
- Potato pancakes should be eaten hot..
My Favorite Toppings
Latkes are traditionally served with applesauce or sour cream. I serve mine with cold creamy yogurt sauce. You can also serve with ketchup.
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Latkes – Crispy Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 Potatoes
- 1½ tsp Ginger-Garlic- Chili Paste
- 1 tsp Chaat Masala
- ½ tsp Mint Powder
- ¾ tsp Amchur Powder/ Dry Mango Powder
- 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1 Egg
- Salt
- Pepper
- Scallions to garnish
Instructions
- In a food processor shred the potatoes. Take a muslin cloth/handkerchief and spread it on a bowl. Transfer the potatoes onto the cloth. Bring edges of cloth together and squeeze firmly to drain the excess liquid.
- In a bowl add drained potatoes, ginger-garlic-chili paste, chaat masala, mint powder, dry mango powder, all purpose flour, eggs, salt, freshly ground pepper and toss to combine.
- Heat 1/4 inch of oil until hot. Once hot, drop heaping spoonfuls of potato mixture and flatten slightly. Cook until crisp and golden brown on both the sides
- Serve hot with choice of sauce.
Hey Rahul, I made the latkes today, but it was very soft, is it because I did not use cast iron. I had difficulty in shaping it . I added more than half a cup of flour. My potatoes were small.
Cast iron maybe one of the reasons for your problem Seema. But I think the bigger reason may be the type of potatoes that you used. You may not have taken out the excess moisture in those potatoes. That may also be the reason why you needed the extra flour as well. As for the shaping then these latkes have no particular shape. Just put a little potato mixture on the pan and flatten it..
Love latkes! And the size is perfect, ’cause I always want three servings. Now I can have that without feeling like a pig. Or, less like a pig. 🙂 Good stuff — thanks.
Hey John. you always come with unique ways of describing food which puts a smile on my face all the time… 🙂
Rahul, I absolutely love the flavors you’ve put into these latkes! They look so crispy and delicious! Brilliant recipe!
They turned out to be way better than I expected Kelly. It was quiet a pleasant surprise..
I’ve never seen a bite-sized latke before. I love your choice of toppings! They’re very interesting.
Thanks Jeff. It was just that I wanted to do something different..
I love latkes! Yours look absolutely perfect, Rahul!
Thanks Marissa..
Ah, I do love latkes! I haven’t had a good latke in ages, and I’m really interested in that yogurt topping you made – it sounds delicious, Rahul!
This was a new recipe for me David.. I am just happy it turned out well..
Rahul, as a Jewish person I have never thought to make toppings to go with Latkes. You have broadened my ideas today so next time we have brunch I will make a batch of these.
Hope I did justice to the Latkes Tandy..
I love your delicious twist on latkes! They look perfectly crispy!!
Thanks Liz..
It’s been ages since I had potato pancakes, Rahul. These sound delicious and so flavor packed with that Chaat Masala, Mint Powder and Dry Mango Powder!
These are the flavors of some of my favorite foods found on the streets of my hometown of Mumbai. So no prizes for guessing that I absolutely love them… 🙂