Potato Latkes (Eggless vegan recipe) with Chunky Applesauce (2024)

FAQs

Why do people put applesauce on latkes? ›

The sweet tang of applesauce adds a contrasty punch to the potatoes and green onions, which make up latkes, while also cutting the grease from frying them. On the other hand, sour cream, while also adding its own version of tartness, can weigh the fried potato cakes down with dairy.

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges. Latkes also aren't hash browns.

Latkes are very similar to the rösti, but also incorporate egg and flour into the pancakes, and are pan-fried in canola oil instead of clarified butter. How do I get my rösti super crispy? Frying in clarified butter is what gives the rösti its beautifully crip exterior while the interior remains buttery.

Latkes (Jewish potato pancakes) are usually made with eggs to helps bind the mixture together and are served at Hanukkah. In this vegan recipe we're going to use flour (taking care not to over develop the gluten) and a touch of cornstarch to do the same job.

As you can see, applesauce has significantly less calories than any of these cooking oils, not to mention less fat. We recommend using unsweetened applesauce, since applesauce is naturally sweet. Additionally, you might consider using less sugar than what the recipe calls for, to account for the applesauce replacement.

These latkes can be eaten plain or topped with a drizzle of honey. Other toppings include jam or preserves, sour cream, maple syrup, yogurt or agave nectar.

These potato pancakes (called latkes) are meant to symbolize the miracle of Hanukkah, when the oil of the menorah in the ransacked Second Temple of Jerusalem was able to stay aflame for eight days even though there was only enough oil for one day. The symbolism comes in the form of the oil in which latkes are fried.

Russet potatoes: Russet potatoes, or baking potatoes, are high in starch and have a dry, mealy texture. This type of potato is best for latkes because the dryness of the potato is partially responsible for that desirable, crispy texture. Yellow onion: Yellow onion adds a savory flavor to the latkes.

The latke, it turns out, has its roots in an old Italian Jewish custom, documented as early as the 14th century. That, it seems, is where Jews first fried pancakes to celebrate Hannukah. Only back then, they were made of cheese.

Although many Americans associate potato pancakes with Hanukkah, they have more broad origins. They originated in the eastern European countries of Germany Austria, Russia and Poland as a peasant food. Potatoes were cheap, plentiful and easy to store, making them a staple and necessitating inventive potato recipes.

What is the difference between Boxty and latkes? ›

Her weapon was boxty, an Irish potato cake that is far more dense than a latke. I'll tell you up front that it is delicious, but the only thing it has in common with a latke is its main ingredient, the potato. I learned to make latkes in the German and Scandinavian kitchens of my childhood.

Officially, though, a latke is simply a pancake—the word itself comes, via Yiddish, from a Russian word meaning "little pancake." Latkes can in fact be made from almost any vegetable, bean, cheese, or grain.

Most Aunt Jemima's mixes call for a heavy amount of dairy and eggs. However, it does have two accidental vegan mixes called the Original Pancake and the Whole Wheat Pancake Mix.

Mushroom Gravy is a rich and savory option that pairs wonderfully with latkes. Pouring mushroom gravy sauce over crispy latkes transforms them into a hearty dish that can serve as the main course. Such pairing is especially great for those looking for another vegetarian option.

Traditional lacy potato latkes can be flavored with onion, parsley, grated carrot, or apple, or made simply of seasoned shredded potatoes. When served as a course on their own, they are usually accompanied by applesauce and sour cream.

In Germany, potato pancakes are eaten either salty (as a side dish) or sweet with apple sauce, or blueberries, sugar and cinnamon; they are a very common menu item during outdoor markets and festivals in colder seasons. In Swiss cuisine, rösti is a variation that never contains egg or flour.

Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah by consuming fried foods like latkes, as well as other foods cooked in oil during the eight-day holiday. If you don't know what they are, latkes are similar to hash browns. Just as you would happily put ketchup on your hash brown, you should be putting applesauce on your latkes.

Applesauce and sour cream are the traditional accoutrements for latkes. Some load their potato pancakes up with both toppings, while others have strong feelings about one over the other. (I'm Team Applesauce, all the way.) However, this Hanukkah, don't feel constrained by these standard-bearers.