Hanukkah lights

Happy Hanukkah -- Did someone say sweet potato latkes?

Happy, happy Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah.

We won't be having our latke party for a few days, but I wanted to share my two favorite latke recipes. These recipes are so good I actually follow them. Which, for those who know how things go around chez Bean, is its own kind of miracle.

I don't know the origin of the recipes, but I learned them from my dear friend Alyson Mandel. The first is for sweet potato latkes. I will follow with her traditional latkes in the next post.

Also, for all those non-dyslexic folks out there who are wondering why it looks like we lit the wrong side of the menorah in the picture, we prefer to think of it as lighting it from behind. It was promptly turned around to face the window in all its right-to-left glory.

(There were several logistical complications, which were too silly to detail here, but take my word for it, we are still at the stage of life where we are happy to be able to find the matches.)

Peace.

Here's the recipe. Enjoy.

The only trick to this recipe is don't make them too big. Smaller is better so the insides cook and don't come out soggy or mushy.

Sweet Potato Latkes

Ingredients

1 lb sweet potatoes (orange insides, not white), peeled and grated in food processor
½ cup flour
2 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Brown sugar
1 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Curry powder
1 tsp. Cumin
lots of salt and pepper
2 eggs
½ cup milk
Canola oil for frying

In large mixing bowl combine:
½ cup flour
2 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Brown sugar
1 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Curry powder
1 tsp. Cumin
lots of salt and pepper

beat two eggs and add to mixture

pour in the ½ cup of milk gradually, and stir to make a thick batter, don’t want it to be runny, may not need all the milk

Then add sweet potatoes to the batter and mix well

Heat between ¼ and ½ inch or oil in a deep frying pan. Make sure the oil is very hot and things sizzle in it.

Get a large tablespoon and scoop a spoon full of the mixture into the oil. Press it down gently to flatten it a bit. Let it fry for a minute, then slip a spatula under it to make sure it isn’t sticking. Fry till golden, then flip. Fry till other side is golden then take out and put on plate with paper towel. Don’t make them too big or the middle won’t cook by the time the outside is crispy.

Salt more if necessary, serve with sour cream and or applesauce.

posted December 4, 2007 | link | contribute a comment

filed under: Recipes, alyson mandel, Hanukkah, sweet potato latkes

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