20 April 2013

Sweet Potato Cakes from Ottolenghi’s Plenty - IHCC




Week 3 of 6 months of cooking with Ottolenghi & this week it is roots.  Perfect for these cooler, shorter evenings.  I am loving it, it has somehow reinvigorated me a little.  Made me really, really enjoy cooking again & sharing it here on Toast without it feeling remotely like a chore.  It is again a pleasure & a joy.  And that is what I love about Ottolenghi, always inspiring.  I have yet to cook something from any of his books that has not delighted. There is something wonderful & exciting the first time you try some sort of new flavour combination or a new way to cook a few simple ingredients & turn them in to something so much more than the some of their parts.

That would be where these sweet potato cakes come in, essentially sweet potato, flour, soy, spring onion & chilli with a dollop of yoghurt on the side.  It doesn’t sound like much but when they all come together in crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, a fresh bite from the spring onions & little heat from the chilli all cooled by fresh, tart lemon spiked yoghurt they really are quite something. It likely also has to do with the “lots of butter” they are fried in! Butter does after all make just about everything better.

Sweet Potato Cakes adapted just a tad from Ottolenghi’s Plenty - IHCC

Serves four

Ingredients

For the sweet potato cakes...
1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks or if you are in NZ your kumara of choice*
2 tsp soy sauce
100g flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
3 tbsp spring onion, chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped (seeded if you are not a fan of heat)
**1 egg if needed
Lots of butter, for frying

*I used golden kumara, hence the more gold than orange hue
**My mixture was a little dry, it may be our Kiwi kumara have a little less moisture than some other sweet potatoes so I threw in an egg.

For the sauce...
50g Greek yogurt
50g sour cream
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp coriander, chopped



Directions

Steam the sweet potato or kumara until soft & then drain in a colander for an hour. To make the sauce whisk all the ingredients together until smooth & set aside in the fridge.  Place all the fritter ingredients, except the egg & the butter, in a mixing bowl & work them together with your hands. The mixture should be  a little sticky.  If too runny add a little more flour or if its too dry add an egg.  Don’t over mix the fritters.

To make the fritters dip your hands in water & take a tablespoon of the mixture & shape it in to a little ball. Flatten the ball to circle less than a centimetre thick.  Place the fritter on some baking paper.


Melt some butter in a large frying pan & using a fish slice, lift the cakes in to the pan & fry on a moderate heat until the cakes have a nice, brown crust.  3 minutes or so each side should do it.  Place on kitchen roll to remove excess butter & serve hot or warm, with a good dollop of the yoghurt sauce on the side.


These are most definitely comfort food.  Hot, crunchy, fried, soft inside, a little spicy & I think best eaten straight out the frying pan with ones fingers.  Or if you feel like being a little more civilised & substantial I am thinking brunch topped with a lightly poached egg & a little crispy bacon...roll on next weekend.



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Enjoy!

25 comments:

  1. Yupper! These are on my short list! I love the idea of sweet potato and that cilantro yogurt dipping sauce! Two flavours matched perfectly!

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    1. Thanks Susan, highly recommend them :) the yoghurt adds just the right amount of tart.

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  2. Yummy! Fritters are always a hit in my house! This would be perfect for a light lunch or simply for snacking on lazy afternoon weekends with the family! Looks so delicious with the yoghurt sauce! Or even with some chilli sauce! Yum!

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    1. Perfect for the weekend :) And I agree....some chilli sauce would be wonderful, maybe even a little sriracha.

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  3. Great minds think alike! I made these too for "Get Back to Your Roots" week! Love your idea of serving with egg and bacon on top.

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    1. Hi Nancy, they're so good right? Have yet to top with a poached egg but will do one weekend very soon.

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  4. I loved these! My favorite YO recipe so far (although there are still so many to try). Your description of this being comfort food is right on!

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    1. Thanks Michelle, they were pretty good. So many recipes to try...I have yet to make one that isn't just delicious.

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  5. These have definitely been one of the most Ottolenghi dishes in the group so far - seems like everyone is raving about them, and I can see why. I love that combo of sweet potato with the tangy, lemony sauce. I love your idea of serving with poached eggs and crispy bacon for a brunch dish - I'm all over that one xo

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    1. Yes these have been popular & so simple to put together :) Perfect weekend comfort food! xo

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  6. You have done a fantastic job of photographing these wonderful sweet potato cakes! I think these were absolutely fantastic and would definitely make them again. So glad you enjoyed them.

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    1. Thanks Kim :) I really did they are just the most lovely comfort food :)

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  7. OK, you guys are making me move these sweet potato cakes higher and higher on my Ottolenghi "to-make" list. They look fantastic. Glad you are enjoying cooking along with us at IHCC. ;-)

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    1. Yes they have been popular! Again just so wonderful that a few ingredients come together to make something just quite delicious :) And yes loving IHCC...a lovely bunch of like minded people:)

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  8. These pancakes look so good! I just received a copy of Ottolenghi’s "Jerusalem" as a gift, and I'm chomping at the bit to get started with a recipe or two.

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    1. Thanks Gerlinde :) If you love cooking then you will love Jerusalem, what a fantastic gift!

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  9. Mmm, I adore sweet potatoes and these pretty little cakes are making me hungry. What a terrific idea to serve with poached eggs! I will definitely do so.

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    1. Hi Hannah, I have yet to try with poached egg but must do it sometime soon. I just think it may be my new favourite brunch dish :)

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  10. Wow, six months of Ottolenghi, I happily be a tester for you :o) Must get the latest book.

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    1. I know! I am loving it :) And yes get the book! I see pop dining are doing a Jerusalem dinner....sadly I have work thing on :(

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  11. Oh Mairi, these are marvelous! What flavors! They look perfect and delicious... I own Plenty and haven't even cooked from it yet. That will now change! Good for you on this cooking project.

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  12. Will this recipe work with white sweet potatoes I wonder? I mena the ones with the purple skin and white flesh.

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    1. Hi Mel, not sure what kind of potatoes you get out your way but I reckon these potato cakes would work well with any potatoes that mash well, I would just stay away from waxy ones. Hope that helps :)

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