To me, there is no dish that says Chanukah more clearly than latkes. There are many varieties of latkes, although the traditional potato (listed here) tends to be the most popular.
INGREDIENTS
Yield:
About 3 dozen
2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
2 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt), plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Safflower or other oil, for frying
PREPARATION
Step 1
Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
Step 2
Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
Step 3
In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about ¼ inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve with sour cream or applesauce as traditional toppings.
Source: Melissa Clark, NYT recipes
Tips to make them healthier:
Try cooking it in the air fryer rather than in oil (although this moves away from the tradition of eating fried foods during this holiday, it is healthier to not fry them).
Use other vegetables mixed in with the potatoes for different flavors and nutrients. We like to use sweet potatoes, spinach, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower and other vegetables for variety.
Add in different herbs or spices to take advantage of the different benefits of these, such as the anti-inflammatory effects of tumeric (especially good with carrots).
Try different toppings for other flavors
