Vegetarian Cuisine

POTATO LATKES –

After the festive season, something simple, yet satisfying and pleasing to most. These can be fried, but in this recipe are baked for less oil use. Potatoes are a good source of energy. But less widely known is that potatoes contain potassium, vitamin C, fibre, B6, B3, copper, manganese, pantothenic acid. Turnips are a good low calorie source of antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals. (The highly nutritious greens of the turnip should not be discarded but can used in soups, curries and stews, or steamed, sautéed or braised.

To get the most nutritional value from a potato, leave on the skin. The potato skin is a concentrated source of dietary fibre, therefore not peeling it is best. It can be scrubbed under cold running water right before cooking and then remove any deep eyes or bruises with a paring knife. If you prefer to peel it, do so lightly with a vegetable peeler, removing just a thin layer of the skin thus retaining the nutrients that lie just below the skin of the potato.

Potatoes should be cleaned and cut right before cooking in order to avoid the discolouration that occurs with air exposure. Otherwise after peeling, place them in a bowl of cold water to which you have added a little bit of lemon juice, to prevent flesh from darkening in colour until they can be grated. Iron or aluminium pots, carbon steel knives can cause discolouration.

Ingredients:

6 potatoes, finely grated
1 large turnip, finely grated
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 ½ cups matzo meal, or 2 ½ cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs, plus a little extra if necessary
¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation:

2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. After grating, drain potatoes thoroughly to remove any excess liquid – (Can be pressed in a cloth or paper towel).
4. Place them in a bowl and add turnip, mustard powder, matzo meal or bread crumbs and the salt.
5. Mix well, adding more matzo meal, or breadcrumbs if necessary to bind.
6. Using your hands, shape the mixture into small patties, about 1 ¾ inches across. Place them on an oiled baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until they are crisp on the bottom.
7. Turn over and bake for 20 min. longer, until both sides are crisp. They should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
8. Serve and enjoy with sour cream, or yoghurt, or apple sauce.

This recipe is an edited contribution for the Sivananda Gurugram sourced and edited from The Yoga Cookbook. Vegetarian Food for Body and Mind. Recipes from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. 1999.

Desire is the seed from which sprouts ceaseless births. Desire arises from a sense of imperfection or limitation, by identifying with the finite body, mind and ego. – Sri Swami Sivananda