Today, I’ve gone back to my roots and made a mountain of crispy golden vegan latkes (or ‘placki ziemniaczane’ as I know them) for dinner. Even though most people associate latkes with Hanukkah – Jewish festival of lights (Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate it this week!), they also happen to be a Polish staple and are one of those dishes I remember fondly from my childhood.
Ever since I realised that Jewish people also make latkes, I’ve been wondering about the origins and history behind this humble dish. My online research suggests that latkes have been invented by Eastern European Jews specifically for Hanukkah. Since Jewish tradition stipulates that a traditional Hanukkah dish needs to be fried and potatoes (and onions) are a staple food during harsh Polish and Russian winters, Jews living in Poland and Russia came up with a dish of shredded potato patties fried in hot oil. The name latkes is likely to have originated from the Polish word ‘łatka’ meaning a patch, which makes perfect sense as in some areas of Poland older generations refer to this dish as ‘łatki’ (plural from ‘łatka’). As with many dishes that span such a large geographical area and traverse so many cultures, there are many different latkes school of thought. Some people shred potatoes very finely and make vegan latkes thick with a crispy edge. I like mine very thin and crispy (so thin that you can see through them), and always grate the potatoes coarsely as it adds a nice texture. I typically shallow-fry them or bake them in a hot oven. The former are definitely tastier, but the latter are a lot healthier so the choice is yours!
5 medium potatoes / about 1 kg 1 small onion, very finely diced or grated 3 tsp wholegrain mustard (optional) ¾-1 tsp fine salt, adjust to taste ground pepper 30 ml / 2 tbsp aquafaba* / chickpea brine (optional) 2 tbsp flour (potato starch or wheat flour if not GF) oil, for frying or baking
