Reader, I’m happy to announce we just got the best Hanukkah gift — a latke recipe from Natalie Portman herself.
That’s right, the impossibly talented Jewish actress, who is about to become the first female Thor, shared her very own latkes recipe on Instagram. The recipe is complete with a video of her walking the walk — frying a batch of scrumptious, crispy latkes.
Can I just say I wish I looked as glamorous as Natalie Portman frying latkes. It is very much a far cry from my latke look (sweatpants, a messy ponytail and an oil splattered t-shirt, if you must ask).
Her sweater is dreamy, without an oil stain in sight (though she did pull up her sleeves like a pro). Her hair is perfectly frazzle-free. Her manicure is flawless — I can’t spot a single chip. I bet she doesn’t even smell like oil afterwards!
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Now back to the recipe. Portman’s latke recipe is vegan. It’s also incredibly simple with just three ingredients: potatoes, canola oil and salt.
We love that she uses different colors of potatoes, like sweet potatoes and purple potatoes. It’s a classy move fit for a classy lady like her.
The recipe is pretty straight-forward. Portman grates the potatoes coarsely, pats them with a paper towel to take the moisture out then seasons and fries them (very stylishly).
Since there’s nothing to bind the potatoes together, the latkes may fall apart a little, and they do for Portman. But she has an elegant solution — snack on the crumbs. I always support this move.
For those of us who love the sweet latke topping, Portman also added a homemade applesauce recipe in her Instagram post. Seriously, she thought of everything!
I’m a fan of this easy latke recipe and so are some other amazing celebs. Isla Fisher (who is married to Sacha Baron Cohen) said she was going to try the recipe herself (I hope she posts pictures!). Mindy Kaling vowed to culturally appropriate the recipe (do it, Mindy!). Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, wrote in a mix of Hebrew and English: “Love latkes! Happy Hanukkah.”
Happy Hanukkah to Natalie Portman and thank you for the fabulous latkes recipe. And if you’re looking even more vegan latkes recipes, we’ve got one for you.
