Rachel’s Crispy Potato Latkes Recipe is an essential for Hanukkah. The fluffy grated potato centre is mixed with egg, flour and grated onion for flavor. Of course, frying in oil gives them their gorgeously golden color and crisp crunchy exterior. Serve with a generous dollop of tart apple sauce or sour cream – or both!
Community Recipes is a recurring feature where we share your recipes on the Jewish Food Hero blog. If you want to share a recipe in this series, pitch us your idea here. This series is all about sharing Kosher recipes. We are creating a positive community around food and sharing.
Tell us about yourself, Rachel Manor!
I’m a blogger and self-taught home cook. I was born in Jerusalem and lived there for most of my life. My cooking is a melting pot of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, Mediterranean cuisine, North African cuisine, and Arab cuisine.
In 2013, my husband and two boys and I moved to the United States and we now live outside of Seattle.
I’m an early riser and I start my days with a one-hour gym workout. Breakfast is my favorite meal and I always have two cups of coffee. I love cookbooks and have a massive collection of books I read while taking notes before I go to sleep.
Tell us about your blog, “Mama Living Abroad”
I love sharing simple and tasty kosher recipes on my blog, Mama Living Abroad. The kinds of dishes I share are things like authentic falafel, mandel bread and tahini swirl brownies.
You can also find me on Instagram @mamalivingabroad to see tempting photos of my recipes!
What three food items could you not live without?
Tahini, Dates, Nuts and Seeds.
What are your 2-3 go-to cookbooks?
Zahav by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook
Zahav is a restaurant in Philadelphia serving Israeli cuisine and this book shares some of those recipes:
- Mezze dishes like fried cauliflower, hummus, pink lentil soup with lamb meatballs
- Persian wedding rice
- whole roasted lamb shoulder with pomegranate and chickpeas
The book also shares chef Michael Solomonov’s personal story about his journey to becoming fascinated with food and cooking.
Breaking Breads by Uri Schreft
Uri Scheft is a master baker and this book has been described as a bakery bible because it shares so many excellent dough recipes. Scheft shares creative twists on such recipes as:
- Middle Eastern daily breads like kubaneh and jachnun
- Poppy Seed Hamantaschen
- Cheese Bourekas
- Jerusalem Bagels
The influences are Scandinavian, European, Israeli and American.
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
This book made the already well-known chef Otoolenghi internationally famous. Plenty highlights vegetarian recipes which everyone can make at home, but which taste like they would be found in a restaurant. Recipes include:
- Eggplant with buttermilk sauce
- Black pepper tofu
- Caramelized garlic tart
Tell us the story of your Crispy Potato Latkes Recipe
Potato Latkes fall into that wonderful category of Jewish comfort foods. In my family no Hanukkah celebration is complete without potato latkes. Every time I make them, it takes me back to fun-filled Hanukkah nights at my grandparents’ house. We would gather around the Chanukiah and eat latkes and Sufganiyot (jelly donuts) until our tummies hurt. I hope you will also create your own memories and traditions with this classic potato latkes recipe too!
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Rachel’s Crispy Potato Latkes Recipe
- Prep Time: 10-20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
- Total Time: 33 minute
- Yield: 20–25 latkes 1x
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes (about 3 lbs/1.5 Kg), washed and peeled
- 1 medium to large onion, peeled
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour or a little more if needed
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Natural oil, like Canola, for frying
Optional for serving:
- Applesauce
- sour cream
- smoked salmon
Instructions
- Use a box grater or food processor to grate the potatoes and onion coarsely. Immerse the grated potatoes in cold water. (Optional: let them soak for 30 to 60 minutes.) Drain and rinse in cold water.
- Wrap the grated potatoes and onion in a clean tea towel or cheesecloth, hold over a bowl or the sink and twist the towel to squeeze out the moisture. Get as much liquid out as possible.
- Add grated potatoes, onion, flour, eggs, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir well.
- Add oil to a depth of about 1/4 inch in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Heat until hot, but not smoking.
- Fry the latkes in small batches for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Watch for crispness and color; you want them to be a beautiful golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels or place them on a cooling rack.
- Serve warm with a generous dollop of sour cream and applesauce.
Keywords: Hanukkah, latkes, fried potato cake
More Community Recipes
Jewish Food Hero’s Community Recipes feature is a space for us all to share our favorites and hear from a variety of people in our community. This is an easy and fun way to get new meal ideas and learn about each other. Since you’ve read Rachel’s recipe, do you feel inspired to share your Kosher recipe? Don’t forget to get in touch to share your recipe too!
Check out these other recipes from our community:
