Sweet Potato Latkes

My father was the latke chef in our family. Inhaling those crispy potato pancakes, with their meltingly soft interiors, was one of the highlights of any Chanukah gathering. For my father, grating the potatoes by hand was the only way to make them. A food processor couldn’t replicate the perfect texture he obtained with his little metal box grater. His skinned knuckles were a badge of honor, a sign of his dedication to his craft. His grandchildren stood beside him as the oil spluttered and bubbled, eagerly awaiting the sizzling latkes, handed over lovingly, hot from the frying pan.

Sweet Potato Latkes

The countdown began from the moment the potatoes were grated. Frying the latkes as quickly as possible was my father’s solution to the inevitable oxidation of the potatoes. HIs method wasn’t foolproof. Nevertheless, we were certain that the occasional greenish-grey latke interior only added to its lip-smacking flavor. We were acquainted with rumors that some potato pancake aficionados  froze latkes, or baked them in the oven to cut down on the amount of oil used, or perhaps even added a vitamin C tablet to the potato mixture to prevent it from darkening. My father wanted nothing to do with these innovations. Although a purist, his creativity allowed him to experiment with apple fritters and zucchini latkes and I know that he would be cheering me on with this recipe for sweet potato latkes that I’m sharing with you today. This recipe by Bonnie Stern, was first published in the National Post, November 23, 2013. Happy Chanukah!

Assemble your ingredients. Peel and process the sweet potatoes using the grater blade on your food processor. I double process the potatoes. That means that after I grate the potatoes, I chop them using the steel blade, using only a few pulses to make the sweet potato strands a little shorter. I put the shredded sweet potatoes in the microwave for 2 minutes to start the cooking process. Nobody wants latkes that are crunchy on the inside as well as the outside.

Add the eggs, puréed chipotle chiles or cayenne (if using), and chopped green onions to the shredded sweet potatoes. Combine the flour, kosher salt, baking powder and cumin. Add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture. Stir and combine well.

Heat the oil over a medium flame in a large frying pan (preferably non-stick). Drop the latke batter by the tablespoon into the oil. Flatten each latke with the back of a spoon. Cook 2 minutes on each side until brown and crispy. If the latkes are browning too quickly, lower the flame. Add more oil in between batches as necessary. Rest the latkes on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Print Recipe

Sweet Potato Latkes

Vegetables and Sides

By Bonnie Stern, published in the National Post, modified very slightly by me – Serves: 10

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 20 minutes – Total Time: 35 minutes

Crisp sweet potato pancakes with a hint of cumin and cayenne.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp puréed chipotle chiles, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, optional
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and
• grated (about 4 cups)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, to start, add more as necessary

Instructions

1

Peel the sweet potatoes and using a food processor with the grating blade, grate the potatoes. Remove the potatoes from the bowl and insert the steel blade. Add the potatoes back into the processor bowl and process with 4 or 5 short pulses to chop the strands of grated sweet potato slightly.

2

Place the grated sweet potatoes in a large bowl and microwave for 2 minutes on high. Allow the potatoes to cool for 3 minutes.

3

Add the eggs, puréed chipotle chiles or cayenne (if using), and chopped green onions to the shredded sweet potatoes. Mix thoroughly. Combine the flour, kosher salt, baking powder and cumin. Add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture. Stir and combine well.

4

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, preferably non-stick if you have one. Drop the latke batter by tablespoons and flatten the pancakes with the back of the spoon. Cook for two minutes per side or until browned and crispy. Add more oil in between batches if necessary. Drain the latkes on paper towels.

5

Serve with tahini, sour cream or yogurt if desired.

Notes

These latkes reheat very well.