I have always loved potatoes, but of late my obsession has gotten just a little out of hand. Largely because I have a partner in crime who loves them as much as I do.
Jay would eat potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let him, and frankly, sometimes I am tempted to so I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner too. This week, with Hanukkah on, I was being haunted, full-scale, by a vision of golden potato latkes that kept whispering to me as I woke and slept: cook me, Vaishali, cook me.
I am not one to resist potatoes, especially when they call out my name. So yesterday, I mixed up a batch of these Savory Apple Potato Pancakes with some thyme and green chilies. They were so good, I ate up the first batch hot off the stove, and it took all of my willpower to save some for Jay. I could see, for once, what Desi means when he sometimes tells me he’s raising two kids. I did feel a bit like a kid making candy.
Only, these are better than candy. The apple adds just a hint of sweetness and depth, and the thyme and chilies add a spicy, savory hit that tickles the tastebuds and makes them scream for more.
Latkes are famous for being crunchy and crispy and creamy inside, and these are all that and then some more. I grated the potatoes in my food processor using this trick: grate them the hard way if you’d rather, but trust me, this way saves a lot of time.
Try ’em. And a Happy Hanukkah to all of Holy Cow’s readers!
Savory Apple Potato Pancakes
- 3 medium russet potatoes grated
- 2 medium apples grated
- 1/2 red onion grated
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp thyme chopped
- 2 green chilies like jalapeno minced
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- Oil for frying
- Place the potatoes, apples and onion in a bowl. Squeeze out as much water as you can, but leave the starch that accumulates at the bottom of the bowl because this will help your pancakes crisp up.
- Mix in all of the other ingredients.
- In a skillet, heat a quarter-inch-deep layer of oil with a high smoking point, like canola.
- Add spoonfuls of the pancake batter to the skillet, pressing down on the top with the back of the spoon to flatten. Leave at least an inch between each of the pancakes to ensure they become golden and do not steam.
- When the underside is golden and crispy, turn over and cook the other side until that's golden.
- Serve hot. It is traditional to serve latkes with applesauce, but they are quite perfect on their own.
Have you tried my Whole Wheat Vegan Challah Bread?
Right on time Vaishali, thank you for this, and chag hanukkah sameach to everyone!! Happy Chanukah!!
A happy Hanukkah to you.
You don’t have to be Jewish to love latkes—and these are unique (no surprise, coming from you!). This honors my ethnic heritage, so thanks! I did look at some oil-free ones that get baked, but maybe this phobia about using even a little oil is going too far…
Hi Ellen, happy Hanukkah! I actually did bake some of these with leftover potato the next day, using just some oil spray on some parchment paper and again on top of the latkes, and they came out really good– they didn’t look as golden, but they were crispy and tasty. It was a 350-degree oven and I let them go 45 minutes to an hour, and flipped them halfway.
They look great. Potato pancakes are always a treat, thanks for the idea
Hi, I’m a writer with Care2.com and I’d like to include a link to your Apple Potato Pancakes recipe in an article. Is it alright if I also include one of your photos? Thanks!
Yes that’s fine, thanks for checking Zoe.
Thanks Vaishali.
do the potatoes get cooked through all the way? i’ve had problems with some rawness in the times i’ve tried making latkes in the past.