Updated December 13, 2014.

What did the Maccabbees serve at the first Hanukkah celebration?  There is really no way to know.  But one thing is for sure: it wasn't potatoes, which came from the New World.  In fact, there is evidence that the first latkes were made from cheese.  These days, there are lots of different vegetables that can be made into latkes.

See Also

Crockpot Brisket

Carb Counts of Root Vegetables

Low-Carb Vegetable List

Ingredients

• Grated vegetable - we like celery root (celeriac) - see below for more ideas. Each cup produces about 3 latkes.
• Egg - about one egg for each two cups of vegetables, but more if needed Dixie Carb Counters Instant Mashers (optional -see below) - 1 - 2 Tablespoons per cup of vegetables
• Salt - about 1/4 teaspoon per cup of vegetable
• Onion - either 1 tablespoon dried or 1/4 fresh finely chopped per cup of vegetable
• Pepper
• Oil

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes

• Total Time: 38 minutes
• Yield: 3 latkes per cup of vegetable

Preparation

My Latke History

How many times have I wished I could chat with my mother-in-law (who, sadly, died before I met my husband), so that she could help me recreate my husband's favorite childhood foods?
Latkes were not part of my food tradition, and I worked for years trying to get them just right. I finally came up with what my husband declared "the best latkes in the world" - a mixture of 5-6 large grated potatoes, eggs, onion, and the secret ingredient, a box of store-bought latke mix.

This created a nice blend of fresh potato and a "filler" that made the patties hold together.

Then we went discovered low-carb eating. I didn't worry much about it at first - it was a holiday, after all. I just would have a couple and not worry about it. But when I started producing recipes for other people, I thought I'd experiment with different vegetables. The result is that almost any root vegetable or hard vegetable such as cauliflower can be grated up and made into latkes. BUT there is that question of the filler, if you like latkes that way.

Low-Carb Latkes

I am happy to say that I have found an alternative to the store-bought latke mix. It is Dixie Carb Counters Instant Mashers, a low-carb alternative to instant mashed potatoes. And we also discovered that of the vegetables I've tried, we like celery root (celeriac) the best, because of its mild flavor.
If you prefer latkes without the filler - just the vegetable with egg - it does work, because as the egg cooks in the pan, it makes the vegetable stick together.

But it doesn't hold together well before it cooks. In that case, just leave out the filler. If you like a lot of filler, just add egg enough to hold it all together.

Choosing a Vegetable

Partly this will be taste. Root vegetables such as turnip, rutabaga, and celery root have much less carbohydrate then potato. Here is a list of Root Vegetables and their Carbohydrate Counts. Some people use zucchini (this works best if you salt it after grating and drain the juice, similar to this method for making zucchini "pasta", or cauliflower. Some people use a mixture. It's just really up to your taste.

Instructions

1. Grate or process the vegetables (including onion), then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Feel free to play with the amount of egg and filler, because different veggies have different amounts of juice.
2. Heat oil. Make sure oil is hot enough by dropping a small amount of the mixture in to see that it bubbles vigorously (or make sure the temperature of the oil is between 250 and 275 degrees F). Don't crowd the pan with latkes, or the oil temperature will drop and the latkes will be greasy.
3. Scoop the mixture into patty-shapes (they may not hold together at first) and place in oil. When one side is brown, turn it over. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
4. These keep 5-6 days in the refrigerator and can be reheated in the microwave.

Nutritional Information will depend upon the vegetable chosen, size of patties, etc. The Instant Mashers have 4 grams effective carbohydrate plus 5 grams fiber for ½ cup of dry mix.