Potato Beet Latkes

Adapted from NY Times recipe 

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes – 1 hour
Makes 25-30 latkes

Ingredients
4 large potatoes, peeled, and grated (2 lb/950g)
1 small onion, grated

2 medium sized beets, peeled & grated (separately from the potatoes) (1lb/425g)
2-3 large eggs
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup flour
1 tbsp Nyfat or vegetable oil
2 tsp baking powder
oil for frying

Directions
1. To grate potatoes, either use hand grater on large holes or food processor using grater blade but cut potatoes in quarters first. Rinse and drain well before next step. For finer consistency, either

1a) add this step: Pat dry and using steel blade, process by using “pulse” (on/off) several times. Do not fill the bowl more than halfway. You will probably need to do two or three batches.

Or

1b) cut potatoes into 4-6 chunks before adding to the feeding tube initially and they’ll probably be fine enough.

2. Separately grate the beets using the same technique (except for the soaking). 

3.  Using the regular blade, mince the onion.  Add to a large mixing bowl and then combine rest of ingredients (beets last and lightly tossed to leave the potatoes less red than the beets) except for oil for frying until well blended.

4. Using large serving spoon, drop batter into 2 tbsp hot oil in frying pan on medium high heat. Flatten the batter with the back of a spoon for even thickness and brown on both sides, turning only once. If the edges brown much quicker than the center turn the heat down to medium. (3-4 minutes per side)

5. Drain latkes on paper towels to eliminate excess oil.

6. Continue the process adding oil as needed. There should only be a slight film of oil in the pan. The latkes will absorb as much oil as you give it.

Tips & Variations
To keep potatoes looking white:  (Of course, they will turn pink once the beets are added, but better pink than that grayish color)
1. Keep them in cold water to remove starch;

2. Rinse and drain grated potatoes;

3. Grate onion after first batch of potatoes are grated, rinsed and drained and toss.
The trick to knowing when to turn the latke - it will be almost dry in the center.

To keep latkes warm, but not dried out or burnt while frying remaining batches, place in a oven at 200°F/100°C on a wire rack over a lipped baking sheet. This will allow excess oil to drain.