Vegan Latkes
December 2, 2022 12:57 PM Subscribe
We would like to include vegan relatives in our latkepalooza this year. Anyone tried them with success and want to share the recipe or process?
My spouse’s normal (non-vegan) “recipe” is to grate an amount of potatoes and onion that looks right to him, and add the amount of egg and oatmeal that feels right to him. It’s delicious and extremely unscientific and he has done it a billion times by feel and it works great sooo… no complaints here.
Can you recommend an egg replacer that could sub well enough that we’d be able to use it in the same “add until it looks right” fashion as we do for the non-vegan ones, or an actual recipe you have tried and liked for vegan latkes?
Strong preference here for vegan latke results you have actually personally experienced and enjoyed over “I bet banana or Ener-G or applesauce might work?” which: agreed! but I’d rather talk to someone who has actually tried what they are recommending.
My spouse’s normal (non-vegan) “recipe” is to grate an amount of potatoes and onion that looks right to him, and add the amount of egg and oatmeal that feels right to him. It’s delicious and extremely unscientific and he has done it a billion times by feel and it works great sooo… no complaints here.
Can you recommend an egg replacer that could sub well enough that we’d be able to use it in the same “add until it looks right” fashion as we do for the non-vegan ones, or an actual recipe you have tried and liked for vegan latkes?
Strong preference here for vegan latke results you have actually personally experienced and enjoyed over “I bet banana or Ener-G or applesauce might work?” which: agreed! but I’d rather talk to someone who has actually tried what they are recommending.
https://www.theppk.com/2007/12/happy-hannukah-eat-some-latkes-for-me/
Flour and starch hold them together. In a pinch I've made them with just flour, no starch, and that also worked fine. Hot tip, add a zucchini in.
posted by starfishprime at 1:36 PM on December 2, 2022
Flour and starch hold them together. In a pinch I've made them with just flour, no starch, and that also worked fine. Hot tip, add a zucchini in.
posted by starfishprime at 1:36 PM on December 2, 2022
I am a big fan of latkes! A spoonful of garbanzo flour will provide binding for your mix, similar to how it's used for Indian pakora.
posted by mezzanayne at 1:39 PM on December 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by mezzanayne at 1:39 PM on December 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
This is easy. Boil and mash about 1/3 of your potatoes, use them as a binder for your shredded potatoes.
posted by gnutron at 3:24 PM on December 2, 2022
posted by gnutron at 3:24 PM on December 2, 2022
Last year I made them with just grated potato, onion, and some flour. I was careful to squeeze liquid out of the potatoes and I made sure to press them into patties pretty firmly between my hands before putting them into the oil, but they held together fine.
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:41 PM on December 2, 2022
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:41 PM on December 2, 2022
Best answer: I keep hoping you’ll hear from someone who has tried Just Egg with latkes, but since you haven’t yet, I’ll jump in to say it is the only vegan egg replacer that really looks and acts like eggs. I used it as you describe to make my mother’s stuffing, and it makes the best vegan pancakes and French toast I’ve ever had. Their website has a latke recipe.
posted by FencingGal at 4:57 PM on December 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 4:57 PM on December 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
Not Jewish but when I've made them any other reason, reducing the water by squeezing the potatoes was key. I've never made them with egg.
posted by fiercekitten at 5:02 PM on December 2, 2022
posted by fiercekitten at 5:02 PM on December 2, 2022
Flagged as fantastic for the term latkepalooza alone.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 5:36 PM on December 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 5:36 PM on December 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
My friend puts the grated potato in a strainer and drains a fair bit of liquid. Discards the liquid and uses the potato starch in the latkes. Flour work fine, gram/ garbanzo flour sounds tasty and effective.
posted by theora55 at 6:09 PM on December 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 6:09 PM on December 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: (spouse’s patented process does also involve straining/pressing/squeezing the potato/onion mix, we have an ongoing debate about whether he is allowed to keep the strained liquid and dehydrate it to make potato onion powder for Reasons if last year’s batch is still in the pantry, omg I have married my grandmother).
posted by charmedimsure at 7:05 PM on December 2, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by charmedimsure at 7:05 PM on December 2, 2022 [8 favorites]
If you feel like you need to add something to sub for egg and the thought of more potatoes doesn't do it for you... track down some nagaimo. Don't let the description put you off - it's really actually very good at replicating what an egg would do in a latke or similar vegetable pancake situation.
posted by daikaisho at 10:14 PM on December 2, 2022
posted by daikaisho at 10:14 PM on December 2, 2022
Can you recommend an egg replacer that could sub well enough that we’d be able to use it in the same “add until it looks right” fashion as we do for the non-vegan ones
I would try using chickpea flour (or just squished beans generally). Here's more on the properties of the water that drains off from cooking with beans. Plus adding chickpea flour to things like potato and/or pancake recipes makes them more filling.
posted by aniola at 10:36 PM on December 2, 2022
I would try using chickpea flour (or just squished beans generally). Here's more on the properties of the water that drains off from cooking with beans. Plus adding chickpea flour to things like potato and/or pancake recipes makes them more filling.
posted by aniola at 10:36 PM on December 2, 2022
we have an ongoing debate about whether he is allowed to keep the strained liquid and dehydrate it to make potato onion powder for Reasons if last year’s batch is still in the pantry
Yes, this is good and fine, but it needs an expiration date written on the container. Food is only useful if you use it.
"Flax eggs" are another thing, where you pre-soak flax seeds in water. Has added benefit of being a good source of omega 3, and downside of having a texture that tastes... healthy. Personally I'd stick with beans.
posted by aniola at 10:41 PM on December 2, 2022
Yes, this is good and fine, but it needs an expiration date written on the container. Food is only useful if you use it.
"Flax eggs" are another thing, where you pre-soak flax seeds in water. Has added benefit of being a good source of omega 3, and downside of having a texture that tastes... healthy. Personally I'd stick with beans.
posted by aniola at 10:41 PM on December 2, 2022
Best answer: Elder Vegan here: I second what everyone else says about not needing eggs. If you want to try an egg replacer, I'd use Just Egg, Simply Eggless, or VeganEgg (which reconstitutes like the other two). These all cook up to an "eggy" texture that is very effective as a neutrally flavored binder for cooking. Simply Eggless is personally my favorite but they all work very well. Other egg replacers like powdered egg replacers, etc. are really more for baking and mostly act as a leavening.
(If anyone is curious, because after 20+ years I have Opinions, replacing eggs can be a little tricky because you have to understand what the egg does in the original recipe - in terms of binding, leavening, structure, and taste - and find a replacer that mimics that. Sometimes, as with this recipe, it turns out the egg isn't really necessary. A lot of old school workarounds like a mashed banana or flax egg I personally find have been superseded by newer developments like the Just Egg-type egg replacer (to replace egg in cooking), powdered egg replacer (to replace egg in baking), and aquafaba (to replace whipped egg white). I haven't used an egg replacer that isn't one of those three in a long time.)
Happy cooking!
posted by AV at 4:29 AM on December 3, 2022 [7 favorites]
(If anyone is curious, because after 20+ years I have Opinions, replacing eggs can be a little tricky because you have to understand what the egg does in the original recipe - in terms of binding, leavening, structure, and taste - and find a replacer that mimics that. Sometimes, as with this recipe, it turns out the egg isn't really necessary. A lot of old school workarounds like a mashed banana or flax egg I personally find have been superseded by newer developments like the Just Egg-type egg replacer (to replace egg in cooking), powdered egg replacer (to replace egg in baking), and aquafaba (to replace whipped egg white). I haven't used an egg replacer that isn't one of those three in a long time.)
Happy cooking!
posted by AV at 4:29 AM on December 3, 2022 [7 favorites]
AV brings up a good point. Are your vegans "I'm ok with highly processed ingredients" type vegans? Or are they "I eat whole foods" type vegans?
posted by aniola at 9:11 AM on December 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 9:11 AM on December 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Thanks AV for correcting me. I didn't know that there were new versions of what Just Egg does.
Just to give you another sense of how well these newer egg replacements work, I make breakfast burritos with Just Egg. You can't do that with the earlier egg replacers.
(And seeing aniola's post, it's true that these are highly processed. I'm in the "these are OK for an occasional treat" category, but your friends may not be. I'm also in the category of "I am so grateful when non-vegans make a real effort that I will eat whatever vegan thing they put in front of me." OP, it's great that you're doing this.)
posted by FencingGal at 9:15 AM on December 3, 2022
Just to give you another sense of how well these newer egg replacements work, I make breakfast burritos with Just Egg. You can't do that with the earlier egg replacers.
(And seeing aniola's post, it's true that these are highly processed. I'm in the "these are OK for an occasional treat" category, but your friends may not be. I'm also in the category of "I am so grateful when non-vegans make a real effort that I will eat whatever vegan thing they put in front of me." OP, it's great that you're doing this.)
posted by FencingGal at 9:15 AM on December 3, 2022
Response by poster: AV brings up a good point. Are your vegans "I'm ok with highly processed ingredients" type vegans? Or are they "I eat whole foods" type vegans?
Highly processed is totally fine. #science
posted by charmedimsure at 5:03 PM on December 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Highly processed is totally fine. #science
posted by charmedimsure at 5:03 PM on December 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Our latkes are (I believe) the best on the planet and we never use eggs.
Take 5 pound of potatoes and 1.5 to 2 pounds of onions.
Grate all of the onions into a bowl.
Grate all of the potatoes into a separate bowl of water so they don't turn brown (we use our KitchenAid for this, because 5 pounds).
Drain the grated potatoes, then squeeze out ALL the liquid back into the potato bowl by hand. Use the force. Then add the grated potatoes to the onions.
Carefully decant that potato liquid to retain the the dregs at the bottom - that potato starch is your binder.
Add salt and pepper to taste, mix it all together thoroughly, and make into patties.
Heat the oil - you want it about 1/8" deep across the pan, and fry in small batches.
posted by Mchelly at 7:19 AM on December 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
Take 5 pound of potatoes and 1.5 to 2 pounds of onions.
Grate all of the onions into a bowl.
Grate all of the potatoes into a separate bowl of water so they don't turn brown (we use our KitchenAid for this, because 5 pounds).
Drain the grated potatoes, then squeeze out ALL the liquid back into the potato bowl by hand. Use the force. Then add the grated potatoes to the onions.
Carefully decant that potato liquid to retain the the dregs at the bottom - that potato starch is your binder.
Add salt and pepper to taste, mix it all together thoroughly, and make into patties.
Heat the oil - you want it about 1/8" deep across the pan, and fry in small batches.
posted by Mchelly at 7:19 AM on December 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Just got the reminder to update and Just Egg worked perfectly for results indistinguishable from the non-vegan batch (we made them both ways for #Science). I also used it for some baking while they were here and: hot damn, egg replacers have come a long way.
posted by charmedimsure at 1:18 PM on January 2, 2023
posted by charmedimsure at 1:18 PM on January 2, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 1:26 PM on December 2, 2022 [5 favorites]