Sweet Potato Latkes

Hi everyone! My name is Julie and I recently starting working with the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. I am a long time sweet potato lover so I'll be guest posting on Sweet Bytes from time to time.

As a new New York City resident and in the spirit of Hannukah, I wanted to share a recipe for a traditional Jewish treat. When moving to New York, I was surprised and yet, fascinated with the strong Jewish culture that resonates throughout the city. It's not hard to find deli after deli serving delicious kosher dishes that have been filling tummies for generations. From knishes to whitefish salads, bagels to noodle kugels, rugelach to pickled herring - I grazed, or should I say feasted, at NYC's famous Jewish delis around town.

A few weeks ago, I discovered my favorite Jewish delicacy. One that makes an appearance every year for Hannukah. Yes, I'm talking about latkes. The crispy first bite intrigued me, but the soft, hot potato delight inside had me begging for more. At that moment, I knew I had to learn more about this savory goodness.

After many visits to 2nd Avenue Deli and Katz's Deli, I started to learn the latke history. "Latke" is Yiddish for potato pancake and is derived from the Greek eladia, meaning "little oily things." The oil symbolizes the olive oil that miraculously lit the menorah for eight days. Not to mention, the latke simply would not be the delicious latke we know it as without being fried in oil.

Photo Courtesy: The Kitchen Minions

I wanted to test my love for latkes by making it with sweet potatoes. To my surprise, I had a hard time deciding which I liked better so I recommend providing guests with a mix of both. The sweet potato latke was the perfect blend of sweet, savory and crisp but it'd be nice to get a bite of something neutral every once in a while. The best part is, sweet potatoes provide extra nutrients and fiber and not to mention color, so mixing is definitely the way to go! I tested these scrumptious fritter using this recipe from Epicurious. Happy Hannukah!

Sweet Potato Latkes

Ingredients

• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or matzah meal
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Stir together potatoes, scallions, flour, eggs, salt, and
   pepper.
2. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately
   high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 1/8 cup
   potato mixture per latke into oil and flatten to 3-inch diameter with a slotted
   spatula.
3. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until golden, about 1-1/2 minutes on
   each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain.

To keep the traditions alive, add sour cream or applesauce on the side of the sweet potato latkes for extra flavor. Also, for a lighter version, you can try baking the latkes to reduce the amount of grease.