This potato latke recipe with apples and Tahini Silan Sauce and both savory and sweet. Can you think of a better marriage between two traditions? An Ashkenaz Hanukkah favorite paired with the Middle Eastern Sephardic flavors of dates and tahini. Talk about a match made in heaven!
But the truth is, everyone loves potato latkes, regardless of their background. There's something about the crispy, shredded potatoes that no one can resist. We make them for our Jewish family often... not only during Hanukkah! Our grandmother used to make Latkes with mashed potatoes instead of shredded potatoes, not as crispy but creamy and delicious. Let's not forget about sufganiyot (fried donuts), it's one of our favorite Chanukah foods.
This recipe is the perfect marriage between our Jewish heritage and our Middle Eastern heritage.
This year we wanted to go the sweet route, since we've always made savory latkes. We added Gala apples, cinnamon and cardamom to our potato latkes recipe; the simple yet delicious dipping sauce combines tahini and silan, a sweet, dark amber colored syrup made from dates and water.
The inspiration for this sauce comes from a tahini-silan spread our parents used to eat when we were kids. They would serve it on a plate with big pieces of pita or French baguette. Consider it the Middle Eastern peanut butter and Jelly 😉
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Potato Latke Recipe with Apples
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 15 latkes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This sweet and Savory Potato Latkes recipe is made with potatoes, apples, cinnamon, and cardamom and served with a tahini and silan sauce.
Ingredients
For the Latkes:
- 2 large Gala apples, shredded
- 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, shredded
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup avocado oil
For the Tahini Silan Sauce:
- 3 tablespoon tahini paste
- 3 tablespoon silan (100% date syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place shredded potatoes and apples in a colander, with a bowl underneath. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon of salt and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes (the potatoes and apples will release some liquid).
- Using a cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel, ring out excess moisture from the grated potatoes and apples (make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible).
- Add the rest of the salt, cinnamon, cardamom, egg, and cornstarch and mix well. Using your hands, form 12-15 small latkes.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and drop about 5 latkes at a time. Cook over medium heat, 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining latkes, adding more oil if necessary.
- Transfer the cooked latkes to the lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.
- To prepare the tahini silan sauce, combine both in a small bowl and whisk well. Serve alongside the latkes.
Notes
- This post was originally published on December 16, 2016
- Potato latkes are always best fresh, but they can also be made one day ahead and placed in a 350ºF oven for 5-7 minutes to crisp them up.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Jewish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 latke with sauce
- Calories: 112
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 243.8 mg
- Fat: 3.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.4 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 12.4 mg
Esther Hausman
These were excellent and easy! the tahini date sauce was "to live for".
Thanks!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you much Esther, so glad you enjoyed them.
SUE
What a great idea to combine the latke WITH the apple! I will try this soon. Thanks, for the recipe.
Vicky and Ruth
Thank you so much! Enjoy!