Latkes, or potato pancakes, are traditionally served for Chanukah, however play no significant role during this holiday. It is believed that latkes, which are fired in oil, are eaten during Chanukah to celebrate the miracle involving oil in the temple of ancient Israel. Latkes can be topped with a variety if condiments including sour cream, cheese and applesauce.
Potato pancakes are fried in oil to give them their crisp, but to cut the fat in this recipe we are going to bake them instead. Let me know what you think.
Serves 8
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 1/3 cup matzah meal, or unbleached white flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup egg substitute, or 2 eggs plus 4 whites
- 3 Tbs chopped parsley
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil spray (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)
Serve with:
- non-fat or low-fat sour cream
- applesauce
1. Place a couple of non-stick baking sheets in the oven and preheat to 450°F .
2. Peel the potatoes and onion and coarsely grate in a food processor fitted with a shredding disk or on a box grater. Grab handfuls of the grated vegetables and squeeze tightly between your fingers to wring out as much liquid as possible.
3. Transfer the grated vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in the matzah meal, baking powder, egg substitute, parsley, and plenty of salt and pepper. The latkes should be highly seasoned.
4. Spray the hot baking sheets with oil (or drizzle the oil on it and spread with a wooden spoon) Spoon small mounds of potato mixture onto the baking sheet to form 2-1/2 inch pancakes, leaving 1 inch between each. Bake-fry the latkes in the oven until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning once with a spatula. (When you turn the latkes, try to flip them onto spots on the baking sheet that still have oil.)
5. Transfer to plates or a platter and serve immediately with sour cream and/or applesauce.
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