Samosas are an Indian savory pastry that usually consists of fried dough, potatoes, peas, spices and chilies. There are many varietes, but I wanted to bring the flavor of a samosa into a latke.
Since the majority of a samosa is potato based, and a latke is a fried potato pancake, whart could be bad about that!!?? Indian food is so flavorful, interesting and different and I love to mix cuisines! for example, my Brisket Pad Thai was a big hit! or Plantain Latkes with Garlic Sauce from a few years ago. The mango chutney was just another nod to Indian cuisine and a really wonderful punch of flavor.
They are kid friendly too! My youngest was home with me and loved it, and my older daughter (who was at school at the time) loved it when she got back!
Cooking Latkes
There are many different varieties of latkes, and different binders are sometimes used. I have seen everything from eggs, to flour, matzah meal to baking powder in the mix – but in reality, I like to cook latkes as simply as possible! Think of them like potatoes alone. They have starch and get golden brown if you cook them properly.
I don’t wring these potatoes out either! However, because I find it important to grate the onion and it becomes watery; I do add a little ground flax seed to the mix. This is a popular egg substitute, and in this case it works well to dry out some of that excess moisture also.
About the Oil
I typically have olive oil on hand, and while it is not an ideal for frying – it can be done. Just make sure your oil is hot enough, your latkes are small enough, and they will cook fast enough over medium heat before your oil really begins to degrade. If you’re not comfortable with that, just use an oil with a higher smoke point, like peanut or grapeseed.
Ingredients
For the latkes:
- 1 russet potato, shredded
- 1/2 Spanish onion, shredded
- 1 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3 Tbsp frozen peas
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
- 1/2 cup pure olive oil for frying
- kosher salt to taste (after frying)
For the Mango Chutney
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsps ginger, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 jalapeno, (no seeds) minced
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole mangoes, small dice
- 1-2 finger chilis (if you can find them) sliced thin. (or any chili for heat)
- 1 tbsp mint, chiffonade
- lime juice, as needed to adjust flavor
Instructions
For the Mango Chutney:
- Saute onions in oil over high heat and cook for a few minutes. Add ginger, garlic and jalapeno and cook until soft and fragrant.
- Add vinegar and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Add sugar and 2 pinches of salt.
- Add mango and any chilies and heat through. Adjust with lime juice and salt as needed.
- Add mint and allow to sit for about 30 minutes and up to overnight. You can add water if you want to thin it out a bit for serving with the latkes.
For the Latkes
- In a bowl, grate the potato on the large holes of a box grater lengthwise, using long strokes so you get as long of a shred as possible.
- Season the potato with the garam masala and turmeric and mix well, until all the potato is colored. Add the grated onion and mix well again.
- Add the peas and flax seed meal next, and allow it to sit for 15 mins.
- When ready to fry, heat the oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. It's ready when a single shred of potato sizzles in it.
- Gather a small about of the latke mixture in your hands and squeeze them together and place them in the hot oil. Press down gently on the center of each latke. Fill the pan with no more than eight, 1 - inch latkes at a time.
- When the edges start to turn golden browm, flip them carefully (with a slotted spoon or slotted spatula) away from you so it doesn't splatter on you.
- When both sides are golden brown and look crispy, drain them on paper towels and season with kosher salt immediately.
- Serve with mango chutney and enjoy!