By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- 4(182)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This dish would work as a low-carb alternative to traditional potato latkes. This blend yields 15 to 16 latkes. The addition of nigella seeds adds a nutty, addictive, flavor. As for toppings, you can use the classic sour cream or thick Greek style yogurt, or be a bit more adventurous and try a favorite chutney or raita, a mixture of yogurt and chopped cucumber with spices.
Featured in: A New Twist on a Hanukkah Staple
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Ingredients
Yield:Makes 15 to 16, serving 4
- 1pound carrots, peeled and grated (3 cups, tightly packed, grated carrots)
- 6ounces baby spinach or stemmed washed spinach, chopped (3 cups tightly packed chopped spinach)
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- Salt to taste
- 1tablespoon nigella seeds (more to taste)
- 2 to 3teaspoons mild chili powder, to taste
- 3tablespoons oat bran
- 3tablespoon matzo meal or all-purpose flour
- 2eggs, beaten
- About ¼ cup canola, grape seed or rice bran oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)
64 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 2 grams protein; 120 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Begin heating a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the oven to 300 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment. Place a rack over another sheet pan.
Step
2
In a large bowl mix together the carrots, spinach, baking powder, salt, nigella seeds, chili powder, oat bran and matzo meal or flour. Taste and adjust salt. Add the eggs and stir together. If the mixture seems dry add a little more egg.
Step
3
Pack about 3 tablespoons of the mixture into a ¼ cup measuring cup. Reverse onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining latke mix. You should have enough to make 15 or 16 latkes.
Step
4
Add the oil to the pan and when it is hot (hold your hand a few inches above – you should feel the heat), use a spatula to transfer one portion of the latke mixture to the pan. Press down with the spatula to flatten. Repeat with more mounds. In my 10-inch pan I can cook three or four at a time without crowding; my 12-inch pan will accommodate four or five. Cook on one side until golden brown, about three minutes. Slide the spatula underneath and flip the latkes over. Cook on the other side until golden brown, another two to three minutes. Transfer to the rack set over a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
Step
5
Serve hot topped with low-fat sour cream, Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, or with other toppings of your choice such as chutney or raita.
Ratings
4
out of 5
182
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
juleezee
Sounds great and I'll make them this year! However, the directions are needlessly complicated, particularly if counter space is at a premium in your kitchen. If you use an ice cream scoop with a release, that is 1/4 cup and it can be scooped directly into the frying pan. I've been doing this for years. If you don't have one, a big cooking spoon (the Calphalon nylon kind, or similar) will also hold about 1/4 cup.
Jacqueline
Made these without oat bran or nigella seeds, substituting flour for bran and mixture of cumin, sesame seeds and garam masala for nigella seeds - also added a couple of potatoes for starch; followed the suggestions to use an ice cream scoop instead of preforming patties, worked like charm. Nicely crispy and tasty, works well with Greek yogurt.
Prodro
Was delicious! Just added some feta chease !
CG
I combined this recipe with the Butternut Squash latkes recipe—switching the carrots for the squash. They were amazing! The perfect balance of spicy and sweet and fried up as crispy as can be. This will be my go to latkes recipe from now on.
Devi Lewis
Loved this, used ice cream scoop works so well. No nigella seeds so followed another recipe suggestion using, cumin, garam masala and sesame seeds. Added achiote chili flakes as well and used olive oil. What a great recipe!
stefanie
Made with roasted sesame seeds and rolled oats whirled in a chopper. Excellent flavors, texture and taste.
Rosie
I made this with about 6 tablespoons of ground flax seed instead of oat bran and flour (so it's basically keto-friendly), and it added a really interesting nutty element. I also used garlic, chili and paprika because I had no nigella seeds, but it seems like pretty much any spice profile works great with these veggies!
The PFG
What a fun use of CSA carrots! I also made some substitutions: subbed tapioca flour for the oat bran and I used a mixture of sesame seeds, cumin, and garam masala for the nigella seeds. Used a head of some sort of purply-green frisée also from CSA instead of spinach. 2 eggs seemed precarious but they held together.These were delightful! Much more light and wholesome-tasting than I anticipated. Lovely flavor/texture. I served them with fried eggs and bacon. Excited to have them for the week!!
Antonia
Wound up not having the right kind of grater for the carrots, so I got a very, very fine grate. Baked instead of fried, too (400ºF convection oven for 10 minutes on each side, so 20 min total). Despite all of my changes, these were delicious and still came out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They tasted like carrot "falafels" crossed with the best bits of a latke. Will be in my weekly rotation!
Laura
Used two flax eggs to bind these, and then baked them instead of frying them. Flipped them halfway through to crisp them up on both sides and they were lovely.
andamay
Needed 3 eggs. Added sesame seeds, cumin, and poppy seeds in place of nigella seeds (grocery store didn’t have them). Added fresh ground turmeric cuz I had it on hand. Added feta to a few of them, next time would do this with whole batch. Used too much oil this time, would reduce. Regardless, absolutely delicious.
Barbara
I didn't care for the texture and I was afraid to use more than 1 teaspoon chili powder, which was a mistake. 1 teaspoon was not enough kick. I think the comment about a few pulses with the food processor would have been helpful. Mine came out soggy and not appealing. Made exactly 16.
Garkeen
Just a few notes...the recipe calls for salt but doesn't specify how much...that would be helpful. More important, I understand that sometimes you just have to adjust the salt to taste, but how can you taste and test when the dry ingredients are sitting together in the bowl? That's not practical. And, of course, you can't do so either once the eggs are mixed in. So, seemingly this recipe has not been proofed by its creator.
hi.gaye
After mixing everything up, I pulsed the ingredients in the food processor. It made them easier to handle and the texture was just right. I scooped up the mix with an ice cream scoop right out of the bowl and into the skillet. I subbed hemp seeds for the nigella and nutritional yeast for the oat flour to give them a cheesy taste.
ND
Don't have oat bran so I might substitute it with flour or bulgur instead? Any thoughts? Nigella seeds is an interesting touch. Curious if za'tar would also also work.
Jacqueline
Made these without oat bran or nigella seeds, substituting flour for bran and mixture of cumin, sesame seeds and garam masala for nigella seeds - also added a couple of potatoes for starch; followed the suggestions to use an ice cream scoop instead of preforming patties, worked like charm. Nicely crispy and tasty, works well with Greek yogurt.
Starchgirl
12/8/15 Interesting, colorful alternative for latkes. Texture and flavor were both winners, and they really looked beautiful. They would match very well with a chutney.
Adam
I substituted 1 tsp each sesame seeds, oregano, and cumin for the nigella, and added half an onion. I needed 3 eggs, not 2, as well.
I would recommend flour over matzoh meal. They didn't stay together too well w/ matzoh meal, but still tasted great.
I think the 3rd step of pre-making the patties seems pretty useless, and I mostly skipped it, but they were somewhat falling apart in the pan when done by hand, so maybe it would help.
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