Latkes

Latkes are potato pancakes, commonly associated with the Jewish cultural tradition in the United States and Europe. They can be and are served any time, but traditionally form part of the menu during the celebration of Chanukah. Eating potato pancakes is not one of the mitzvot of Chanukah; that is, it is not a fundamental part of the Chanukah rituals, and has no religious significance. It is seen as appropriate to eat foods cooked in oil during a festival that celebrates the miracle of the Chanukah oil. In Israel, potato pancakes are familiar and well-liked but the Sufganiya (jelly doughnut) is considered to be more Israeli.

Various recipes for potato pancakes vary in the degree of fineness to which the potatoes are grated. Some are grated to long strips, others to a fine powder. Both latkes and potato pancakes bear a distant resemblance to the American cuisine dish, Hash browns; however, hash browns are merely coarsely grated potatoes with no binding ingredients or flour.

Ingredients

• 4 large Potato
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons Matzo meal, Corn meal, or Flour
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable Oil
• Applesauce and/or Sour cream

Procedure

1. Peel potatoes and onion and grate.
2. Mix potato and onion with egg, meal, and salt.
3. Heat oil in a 10" pan over medium heat until it is quite hot. Drop 1-2 tablespoons of the potato mixture onto the pan per pancake. Turn once to allow both sides to fry.
4. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream as a topping.

Serves four.

Notes, tips, and variations

• Variants include cheese latkes, zucchini latkes, and apple latkes.

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This recipe uses text originaly published in our sister project, Main Page, in the article w:Potato pancakes, please see that article for the list of authors.