The first time I made latkes, it was because of a boy. I had a mad crush on a guy who happened to be Jewish and I wanted to impress him (and maybe later in life, my future mother-in-law) with my latke-making skills. And, while that infatuation has long since faded, my love and appreciation for latkes remains steadfast to this day.
These latkes are the ones I’ve been making for 15 years—they’re bound with egg, all-purpose flour, and a little rice flour for extra crispness. They’re dynamite served with classic toppings, such as sour cream, apple sauce, smoked salmon, dill, and caviar, but truly shine with the chaat treatment in a Diwali-Chanukah-inspired mashup (both are festivals of light, after all).
Chaat—derived from the Hindi word “chaatna,” meaning to lick or to taste—is a beloved category of street foods found in stalls, carts, and food malls across South Asia. It is often characterized by an array of flavors and textures—salty, sour, sweet, tangy, creamy, crispy, crunchy, and pretty much everything delectable. This latke chaat is loosely based on aloo tikki chaat (aloo tikki is also a fried potato cake made with spiced mashed potatoes and bound with cornstarch). The latkes are sprinkled with chaat masala—a mouthwatering blend of spices, amchur for sourness and black salt for funky goodness—immediately after frying, then garnished with sour cream (you can also use plain yogurt, if that’s your vibe), tamarind date chutney, cilantro-mint chutney, red onion, pomegranate arils, and nylon sev.
Whether you’re making these latkes for Chanukah, just love all iterations of fried potatoes, or are trying to win over a crush, I hope these festive bites brings lots of light, joy, and deliciousness to your winter celebrations!
One more thing before we get to the recipe—need a last-minute holiday gift? A subscription to this newsletter sounds like a pretty darn tasty present! Your lucky recipient will receive 3 to 4 recipes a month (two of which are for paid subscribers only) + full access to the From Head to Table archive.
Latke Chaat
There are two ways you can serve these festive bites. 1) Assemble them with all the components and serve on a board or platter (as pictured above). 2) Build-your-own adventure—put the sour cream, chutneys, and other toppings in small bowls and serve alongside the plate of crispy, hot latkes, so your guests can customize their own latke chaat.
This recipe makes 12 hefty latkes or 18 smaller latkes, but if you are serving a larger crowd, the latke portion of the recipe can easily be doubled (the chutney recipes should be enough for twice as many latkes).
Ingredient note: You can find bags of nylon (thin) sev at your local Indian supermarket or also buy bags of it online.
Serves 4 (Makes about 12 hefty latkes or 18 smaller latkes)
INGREDIENTS
For the tamarind date chutney
5 medjool dates, pitted and torn in half
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate/paste
1½ tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ¼ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt, plus more
1 teaspoon lime juice
For the green chutney
1½ cups roughly chopped cilantro, tender leaves and stems
1 cup mint leaves
1 to 2 serrano peppers, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
For latkes & assembly
1 medium white or yellow onion (about 6 ounces total)
2 large russet potatoes, peeled (about 1¼ pounds total)
1 large egg
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons rice flour
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
Neutral oil, like canola, for frying
1 to 1½ tablespoons chaat masala
Sour cream, for garnish
Diced red onion, for garnish
Pomegranate arils, for garnish
Nylon (thin) sev, for garnish
METHOD
For the tamarind chutney, place 5 pitted and halved medjool dates, 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate/paste, 1½ tablespoons light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ¼ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt, and ½ cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the dates have plumped slightly, 2 to 4 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, transfer to a blender, and blend on high until smooth. (Alternatively, you can blend this using an immersion blender.) Strain through a fine mesh strainer, using a spatula to stir and press as much of the pulp through as possible. Stir in the lime juice, taste, and adjust salt, if needed. If the chutney is a little too thick, you can thin with a tablespoon or two of hot water, but it should have a thick, drizzle-able texture. Set aside.
For the green chutney, rinse out the blender and place 1½ cups roughly chopped cilantro (both tender leaves and stems), 1 cup mint leaves, 1 to 2 roughly chopped serrano peppers, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt in the blender jar, but DO NOT blend. Set aside.
For the latkes, cut the top and peel 1 whole medium white or yellow onion, leaving the root end intact. Place a large piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen linen in a large bowl and grate the onion on the large side of a box grater into the bowl. Collect the edges of the cloth and squeeze any excess water out of the onion. Discard the onion liquid and place the grated onions back in the large bowl, reserving the linen.
Lay the cheese cloth or linen on a cutting board or flat surface and grate 2 large, peeled russet potatoes (about 1¼ pounds total) on the large side of a box grater. Collect the edges of the cloth and squeeze any excess water out of the potatoes (I usually do this over the sink or a discard bowl). Transfer the squeezed potatoes to the bowl with the grated onions and add 1 large egg, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1½ tablespoons rice flour, and 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt. Poke the yolk with a folk and lightly beat the egg, then mix well until everything is lightly coated in the batter.
Meanwhile, heat ¼” canola oil in a large, high-rimmed skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (a bit of the latke mix dropped in should sizzle), use a large spoon to scoop up a couple tablespoons of the latke mixture and carefully drop it into the oil, flattening it into a patty with the back of the spoon. Repeat until the pan is full (I usually fry about six at a time). Fry until deep golden on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. I usually do a double flip, meaning I cook the latkes for about 1 minute to 90 seconds on one side until light golden, flip, cook another 1 minute to 90 seconds, flip again and cook until deep golden on the first side, and then do a final flip and cook until deep golden on that second side (not a necessary method, but wanted to share anyway!). Transfer the fried latkes to a baking sheet fitted with a rack and sprinkle with a dusting of chaat masala. Repeat with the remaining latke mixture. (The finished latkes can be kept warm in a 300°F oven.)
To finish, blend the green chutney on high until smooth (if it is too thick, you can add a tablespoon of water at a time until it is thick and spoonable). Arrange the latkes on a board or platter. Place a spoonful of green chutney on each one, followed by a dollop of sour cream, then drizzle with the tamarind date chutney (I find it easiest to put the chutney in a ziploc bag and cut a tiny hole in the corner for effortless, more efficient drizzling). Sprinkle each latke with some diced red onion, pomegranate arils, and nylon sev. Serve immediately.
Make-ahead: Latkes are best made à la minute, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prep some of the components of this dish ahead of time:
For the latkes: The potatoes can be peeled and kept in a bowl of cold water for a couple hours (this will prevent browning). The onions can be grated, squeezed, and stored in an airtight container for a couple hours as well.
The chutneys: The tamarind date chutney can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Green chutney is notoriously fickle when it comes to staying bright green (the verdant hue turning into army green within an hour), so I usually cut all the ingredients ahead of time and then blend right before I am ready to serve. If you are set on making this ahead, I’ve found that reducing the lime juice to 2 tablespoons and adding 2 tablespoons neutral oil helps preserve the color a little.
Assembly prep: If you’re serving this as a platter for your guests to build their own latke chaat, you can put the tamarind chutney, sour cream, diced red onion, pomegranate arils, and sev in small, individual bowls. Then, when it is party time blend the green chutney and fry the latkes.
Potatoes and chaat are a match made in heaven! I work in the early care and learning field and I recently came across a picture book called Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas - this post reminded me of the book. BTW, if you ever want to do a picture book-themed post, hit me up. I'm good for playing book concierge. Thanks for another great recipe, Asha!
Here's the link to the book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-of-the-hanukkah-dosas-pamela-ehrenberg/1125191644