Indian Spiced Latkes

Once again, the NYE crew had an iron chef contest. This is, in my view, one of the best things we consumed in the evening. And they are definitely some of the best latkes I've ever had. Adding the spices really takes latkes and makes them more than hashbrowns.

Having consumed more latkes than I care to remember during the holiday season, these are the clear winners on flavor and will become my family's multi-cultural Channukah tradition.

Latke Ingredients
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 3 large russet or Idaho potatoes, peeled
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
• salt to taste, probably at least 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Curry-Lime Yogurt
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 3-4 teaspoons curry powder (to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste

Latke Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Place 2 nonstick baking sheets in oven. In small saucepan, bring salted water to boil. Add peas and cook, uncovered, until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, then rinse in colander under cool, running water. Set aside in colander to drain completely.

2. Using box grater or food processor fitted with grating disc, coarsely grate onion and place in colander set in sink. Coarsely grate potatoes, add to colander, and set aside to drain.

3. In large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Whisk in flour, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and cumin. Mix in ginger, cilantro, and peas.

4. Press potatoes and onion to extract as much liquid as possible, then add to bowl. Using wooden spoon or hands, mix well, but do not overwork.

5. In heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter until hot but not smoking. Drop 4 scant 1/4-cup portions of potato mixture into pan and flatten with spatula to form four 3-inch pancakes.
Fry until bottoms are golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over and fry until golden-brown and crisp, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Keep warm on baking sheets in oven while making remaining pancakes.

NOTES: (1) If the latkes aren't sticking together (too much liquid) add more flour until they stick together. (2) Try to squeeze out as much of the liquid before putting these into the oil. I've found that forming them using a slotted spoon to get out the excess liquid works well.

Yogurt Sauce Preparation
In medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more lime juice if desired.