Potato Carrot Latkes

Growing up in Germany, latkes or, as we called them, potato pancakes were one of our lunch favorites. When my mom asked me what I would like to have after school (besides no homework), potato pancakes with lots of homemade apple sauce was quite often the answer. I love potatoes in all variations, but this is definitely one of my top choices. Since I like to give good old things some fresh new twist, I couldn’t resist to add carrots and kale for a healthier, more colorful look. All kinds of greens and salads go absolutely well with these guys and, yes, of course you can still smother them with applesauce!

Ingredients (for about 25 latkes):

Latkes:

• 2 1/2 lb (about 1100 g) potatoes with skin, washed and scrubbed (I used Yukon Gold potatoes)
• 1 large carrot (5 oz/140 g), washed and scrubbed
• 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 6 Tbsp squeezed out potato/carrot juice
• 1 sweet onion, finely diced
• 1 kale leaf, stem removed, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 6 Tbsp einkorn flour (I used all purpose)

For frying:

• sufficient extra virgin olive oil

Serve with:

• greens of your choice
• applesauce
• vegan sour cream (store-bought or homemade)

Preparation:

Grate potatoes and carrot on the fine grate side of your box grater into a large bowl.

Put a strainer into a different large bowl and line it with a clean kitchen towel or cheese cloth. If you use strong detergents or fabric softener, rinse the towel well with plenty of water, wring, then place into the strainer. Transfer the potato and carrot shreds into the kitchen towel lined strainer, then twist the cloth and wring as much liquid out of them as possible.

Take 6 tablespoons of the squeezed out liquid and combine with the flax seed in a small bowl. Set aside until later.

Wash and/or cut the remaining vegetables.

Transfer potato/carrot shreds into your first large bowl, add all the remaining latkes ingredients, including flax liquid, and use your hands to combine well.

Preheat your oven to 170°F (80°C).

Preheat a heavy frying pan on medium heat. I actually used two pans to speed up the process.

Add a good amount of olive oil to the pan(s), and spoon latkes mix into the hot oil to form 3-4 inch (7 1/2 – 10 cm), not too thick, pancakes. This will give you 3-4 latkes per pan. Fry each side for about 3 minutes until nicely browned. Times will vary.

Transfer the latkes to an oven safe platter and keep warm in the preheated oven. If you want, you can put them first on paper towels which will soak up some of the oil. Do not put them in the oven with the paper towels!

Proceed this way with the rest of the latkes mix, then garnish with greens. Enjoy with lots of applesauce and some vegan sour cream.

Notes:

• Squeezing out the juices of potatoes and carrot really reduces the splatter of oil, so I wouldn’t omit this step.
• You could also add some parsley to the mix to add even more greens and color.
• As mentioned before, all kinds of salads go well with latkes, especially mixed or green.
• Be generous with the olive oil and also with the applesauce for serving.
• Einkorn flour contains much less gluten than regular flour, but it’s not gluten free. If you are gluten intolerant, substitute einkorn flour with your gluten free flour of choice.
• If you would like to enjoy latkes Bavarian style, serve them with sauerkraut (in this case, skip the applesauce)!