Crispy Vegan Potato Latkes (No Eggs)
shared by Кухня Nibblore
These Eastern European potato latkes are deeply golden and crisp around the edges, with soft, tender centers—without any eggs or dairy. Potato starch binds the mixture, while thoroughly squeezing out excess moisture ensures a crunchy crust. Serve them hot for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner with vegan sour cream or mushroom gravy. • Use floury, high-starch potatoes; new or waxy potatoes will produce less-crisp latkes. • Do not leave the grated mixture standing for long. Salt draws out moisture, so start frying as soon as everything is mixed. • Maintain medium heat: if it is too low, the latkes will absorb oil; if it is too high, they will burn before cooking through. • Replace the potato starch with the same amount of cornstarch. • Replace the onion with 80 g shallots for a milder flavor. • Replace the sunflower oil with refined canola oil or another neutral oil with a high smoke point. • Replace the vegan sour cream with unsweetened plant-based yogurt mixed with a pinch of salt. These latkes are best eaten immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze them with parchment paper between the layers for up to 1 month. Reheat from cold or frozen on a wire rack in a 200°C oven: 8–10 minutes if refrigerated or 15–18 minutes if frozen. Avoid the microwave, as it will soften the crust.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Beginner-friendly
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 1 kgstarchy potatoes, peeled
- 120 gonion, peeled
- 2 tbsppotato starch
- 1 tspfine salt
- ¼ tspblack pepper, ground
- 100 mlrefined sunflower oil, for frying
- 150 gvegan sour cream, for serving
- 10 gfresh dill, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1Finely grate the potatoes and onion into a large bowl, alternating between them so the onion juice helps prevent the potatoes from discoloring.
- 2Transfer the mixture to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze it firmly over a bowl. Let the collected liquid stand for 5 minutes, then carefully pour off the upper layer, leaving the white starch settled at the bottom.
- 3Return the squeezed potatoes and onion to the bowl with the reserved starch. Add the potato starch, salt, and black pepper, then mix thoroughly. The mixture should hold together on a spoon; if it releases a lot of liquid, squeeze it again.
- 4Preheat the oven to 100°C and place a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack inside so the cooked latkes stay hot and crisp.
- 5Pour enough sunflower oil into a 26–28 cm heavy-based frying pan to form a layer about 3 mm deep, then heat over medium heat for 2–3 minutes. The oil is ready when a small pinch of potato mixture immediately sizzles vigorously.
- 6Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into the pan for each latke and flatten into patties about 7 mm thick. Without overcrowding the pan, fry in batches of 3–4 latkes for 3–4 minutes on the first side, until deeply golden and crisp.
- 7Flip the latkes with a thin spatula and fry for another 2–3 minutes, until the second side is browned and the centers are tender. Stir the potato mixture between batches and add more oil if needed.
- 8Transfer the cooked latkes to the wire rack in the warm oven without stacking them. Serve immediately with vegan sour cream and dill.