Purple Potato Latkes
Latkes or Potato pancakes, are shallow-fried pancakes of grated potato and egg, often flavored with grated onion and may be herbs.
For me latkes are softly intertwined with the memories of warm and cozy meets during the Hanukkah feast in my daughter’s preschool with equally warm and cozy friends, teachers and children. Along with it are woven the dreidels, the lighting of the menorah, the chant of the prayers and of course the music which still rings in my ears. My daughter went to a nursery in a Jewish Temple (Temple Shalom). She learned to say her prayers, to play the dreidel and sing; while I learned my latkes 
I am a bit late in posting this for this year; but better late than never. I have used purple potatoes to make these, not for any particular reason. I found a big bag of these unusual purple potatoes at a ridiculously low price and just had to buy them. They do not add any extra flavors or taste to the latkes, but they do add some sensational color.
Purple Potatoes
A root with extraordinary colors that adds a distinctive look to any dish; it is the purple potato with a dark purplish skin and vivid purple, dense inside. The Purple Peruvian potato is supposedly an heirloom from the South American Andes’ highlands. and is regarded by many chefs as the “Gem of the Andes. The purple potatoes are high in anthocyanins – the pigments that impart the vibrant colors to the fruits and vegetables. Like in blueberries, their antioxidant properties are known to fight cancer, and various other illnesses.
“When selecting, choose those that are firm and plump, avoiding those that have shriveled skins, sprouting eyes, soft spots, blemishes and green spots. Store potatoes in a cool dry place. They will keep at room temperature for up to two weeks and longer when stored in cool temperatures. Do not store in the refrigerator because the cold temperatures will convert the starches into sugar and the potato will become sweet and turn a dark color when cooked. Do not store with onions, the gas given off by onions accelerate the decay of potatoes.” – Source
Shredded Purple Potatoes
Purple Potato Latkes
Ingredients:
- 3-4 Large Purple Potatoes
- 1 Large Onion
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 Cup Flour
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Chopped Parsley (Optional)
- Oil for Frying
Preparation:Peel and finely grate the potatoes with a box grater or food processor. Put them into cold water, then drain them in a colander and squeeze them as dry as you can by pressing them with your hands.
Put the grated potatoes in a cheese cloth (or a few layers of paper towels), pull the sides up on to the top like a pouch and squeeze out as much water as you can. If you don’t drain and squeeze them dry, they might get runny during frying and finally the latkes will get soggy.
Grate the onions; drain them and squeeze the water out in the same way as you did with the potatoes.
Mix the potatoes, onions, and chopped parsley.
Beat the eggs lightly with salt and pepper; add to the potatoes mix. Add the flour and stir to combine well.
Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in cast iron skillet. Take spoonfuls (I used a tablespoon), of the mixture and drop into the hot oil. Flatten them with the back of the spoon, and lower the heat so that the fritters cook through evenly. When one side is brown, turn over and brown the other.
Lift out and place them on paper towels.
Serve very hot with applesauce, sour cream or your favorite condiment. I served them with Plum Applesauce.
You cannot go wrong with these crispy hot cakes! They disappear pretty fast.
Some Information on Latkes/Potato Pancakes:
Hanukkah Tradition:
Latkes are traditionally eaten by Ashkenazi Jews during the Jewish Hanukkah festival. The oil for cooking the latkes is reminiscent of the oil from the Hanukkah story that kept the Second Temple of ancient Israel lit with a long-lasting flame that is celebrated as a miracle. (Source: Wiki)
Around the World:
Potato pancakes are commonly associated with traditional Austrian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Yiddish (where they are known as latkes or latkas, Hungarian and Czech cuisines, although other cuisines (including those of India and Korea) also have similar potato pancakes. It is also the national dish of Belarus. In Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian cuisines potato pancakes are commonly known as deruny or draniki . Throughout Germany, potato pancakes are also very much liked, most commonly under the names Reibekuchen or Kartoffelpuffer, and they are eaten either salty as a side dish or sweet with apple sauce and cinnamon; they are a very typical menu item during outdoor markets and festivals in the colder seasons.
A form of potato pancake known as ‘Boxty’ is a popular traditional dish in most of Ireland. It is made in a similar way but using more starch.
The Swedish version of unbound potato pancakes are called rårakor.When prepared with a batter of wheat flour, milk, egg, and shredded potatoes and fried like thin pancakes, they are called raggmunk, which literally translates as “hairy doughnuts” (the grated potatoes make them look hairy). Both kinds are enjoyed with fried bacon and lingonberry jam. – (Source: Wiki)
Sending the potatoes over to the WHB #214, hosted at Cook Almost Anything Atleast Once.
Related Posts:
Glazed Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes
Potato Salad with Herbs and Tomatoes
Links from other blogs:
Purple Potato Crisps - Jugalbandi
Fork Crushed Purple Potatoes – Smitten Kitchen
Tags: chanukah, colored roots, crispy hot cakes, crispy hot potato pancakes, delta potatoes, european potato pancakes, hanukkah recipe, hanukkah recipes, hanukkah traditions, how to make latkes, how to make potato pancakes, jewish, jewish cuisine, jewish recipe, latka, latkas, menu for hanukkah, national dish of belarus, peruvian potatoes, peruvian purple potatoes, potato cake, potato pancake, potato pancakes around the world, purple potatoes, root vegetable, shallow fried cakes, shallow fried pancakes, tradition of hanukkah, traditional hanukkah potato latkes, traditional latkes, traditional recipe, what are latkes?, what to cook for hanukkah
December 16th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
They look so irresistable especially with that ketchup. Good one for this cold/freezing weather. I have tried this with regular potatoes before and the taste so good. i have to look for those pretty purple potatoes.
December 16th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Lovely! Those latkes are very appetizing!
Cheers,
Rosa
December 16th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Very neat latkes with purple potatoes! I also had an idea of making latkes with three different colors of potatoes but haven’t gotten around to it yet.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Havent cooked with purple potatoes.. Looks colorful..
December 16th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
They look beautiful and sound delicious. We don’t get purple potatoes in Greece.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:43 am
They sure look sensational!.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Thanks Soma never have seen Puplre potatoes. they look so pretty. i often make hash browns for breakfast but this is a new recipe.
December 17th, 2009 at 1:38 am
Stunning latkes, looks beautiful…
December 17th, 2009 at 3:29 am
I never knew such incredibly purple potatoes existed! I love these latkes. Absolutely gorgeous!
December 17th, 2009 at 4:09 am
Can anything with potatoes tastes bad? And purple ones? I am yet to lay my hands on this species of my favorite root. Purple surely looks mesmerizing
Simple things looking great over here, and now comes the million dollar question….WHAT DID YOU USED FOR THE BACKGROUND OF THE PICTURE OF SHREDDED POTATOES..the white thing..it gives such a perfect finesse to the whole picture..hmm wondering what it could be?
Alka, it is just plain white poster/art paper.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Beautiful and crunchy delicous.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:48 am
One of my friend’s kids go to Jewish Nursery school too and they have learnt all about the menorah and dreidel
The purple does add a lovely color
December 17th, 2009 at 8:09 am
They look beautiful! The purple potato is a great idea.
December 17th, 2009 at 8:11 am
I am bumping into lot of Latkes…Purple potatoes…Where do you get them?I could never spot them?
Found them in Kroger.
December 17th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Love the recipe. Any deep fried snacks are great tasting. The purple potatoes add a lot of color . I personally did not like the taste of the purple ones.
December 17th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Vibrant Latkes… Have never tried purple potatoes. Do you get them in all super markets here….
December 17th, 2009 at 11:03 am
I made with usual potato, purple potato latkes are sure eyecatching!
December 17th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Delicious! you are tempting me to try it out. Purple potatoes look gorgeous, havent seen them anytime in my area though.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
[...] Purple Potato Latkes | eCurry – The Recipe Blog [...]
December 17th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
what a delight !! wonderful recipie.
December 17th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
i am hungry for some now..amazing clicks always…
December 17th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Beautiful latkes! I love any kind of latkes but I have yet to try purple potato. They look delicious–another perfect cold weather dish.
December 17th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
OH wow.. they look fantastic. I wonder if I can find them here in Japan?
December 17th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
going to try this weekend, although with normal potatoes
December 17th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Nice idea of making hash browns with purple potatoes! Looks wonderful and bet it wud taste great too!
December 18th, 2009 at 4:46 am
Love the purple potatoes and such a good idea to use them for latkes.
December 18th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Wild! The purple spuds really make a statement!
Perfect for the holiday season.
December 18th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Oooh these are so fun and colorful!
I loved latkes! We of course ghetto-rigged it by adding tons of mixes such as spinach, bacon, cheese, and CHOCOLATE!
But yours look divine already
December 19th, 2009 at 1:33 am
We dont get purple potatoes here..but they sure look very pretty
December 19th, 2009 at 5:38 am
I’ve never seen purple potatoes! They give such a nice colour to a dish…pretty!
December 19th, 2009 at 8:36 am
What a co-incidence I made them yesterday only after school snack……but with regular potatoes of’course…..yours looks very inviting with that purple colour…..
December 20th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
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December 20th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I’m big fan of potatoes in any form & this sounds so delicious.
looking forward to giving it a try
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:05 am
m soo loving the purple color! soo pretty
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Wow! I’m so happy I just found your blog! These latkes look fantastic! I can’t wait to try these!
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Beautiful photos. I made these today, topped with a mixture of sour cream, lemon, and fresh dill, and then a layer of Alaska smoked salmon. I used leeks instead of onions. The purple potatoes have a peppery and more earthy flavor than white potatoes. With the sour cream and salmon, a very pretty dish.