By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- 4(177)
- Notes
- Read community notes
I found that the best way to make these so they cook through without burning is to make small latkes, using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each one. You can also finish them in the oven.
Featured in: A New Twist on a Hanukkah Staple
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Ingredients
Yield:About 40 small latkes, serving 6 to 8
- 1½pound red-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and grated – about 5 cups grated
- 1cup grated apple, preferably a slightly tart variety such as Braeburn
- 2teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 to 2teaspoons grated fresh ginger (to taste)
- 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- Salt to taste
- 3tablespoons oat bran
- 3tablespoon matzo meal or all-purpose flour
- 2eggs, beaten
- About ¼ cup canola, grape seed or rice bran oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
175 calories; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 289 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Begin heating a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment and place a rack over another sheet pan.
Step
2
Place the grated sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Toss the grated apple with the lime juice and add to the sweet potatoes, along with the ginger, spices, baking powder, salt, oat bran and matzo meal or flour. Taste and adjust salt. Add the beaten eggs and stir together.
Step
3
Take a ¼ cup measuring cup and fill with 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Reverse onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining latke mix. You should have enough to make about 40 latkes.
Step
4
Add the oil to the pan and when it is hot (hold your hand a few inches above – you should feel the heat), slide a spatula under one portion of the latke mixture and press down with the spatula to flatten. Repeat with more mounds. In my 10-inch pan I can cook four at a time without crowding; my 12-inch pan will accommodate five or six. Cook on one side until golden brown, about three minutes. Slide the spatula underneath and flip the latkes over. Cook on the other side until golden brown, another two to three minutes. Transfer to the rack set over a baking sheet. Try one latke and if it is still a bit chewy in the middle transfer them to the baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown and soft in the center.
Step
5
Serve hot topped with applesauce and low-fat sour cream, thick Greek yogurt or crème fraîche if desired.
Ratings
4
out of 5
177
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Cooking Notes
Dd
Does anyone proof read these things? What is the purpose of using the 1/4 cup but only putting 2 Tbsp of mix in it, essentially filling it half full? I figured it was meant to work as a mold so are we supposed to pack the mix down into the cup? I tried that but the mix certainly did not release out of the cup cleanly. Why do we put them on parchment paper temporarily instead of just dropping the mix right into the frying pan?
Dd
Are we really supposed to preheat the oven throughout this entire process just in case they fry too quickly and aren't soft enough in the middle? If we slide the spatula under the portion of the latke mixture and press down aren't we just pressing down on the sheet pan? I assume this is the sentence where crucial, yet inexplicably omitted, step of actually putting the mixture into the cooking oil should be inserted.
Dd
With 4 in the frying pan at a time do you really get through 10 batches on a single 1/4 cup of oil? We doubled the binder ingredients and it still wasn't quite enough. Yams don't have nearly as much moisture as potatoes so with twice the egg and grains they still barely held together. Think of this recipe as the inspiration for a great dish but understand that you're still going to have to figure out how to make it properly yourself, because the author has not yet done so.
Cindy
What a disaster. Everything just fell apart. They either burned or didn’t cook enough. Not crispy, even after oven
mpf101
Agree with previous comments - instructions quite confusing. First batch a disaster - nothing hung together. But then we added more binder and started squeezing liquid out of each little ball. Result: very tasty latkes. I’d consider Granny Smiths next time - Braeburns are too sweet, watery, and bland.
jessica
Double the eggs. Double the flour. Cook on Medium Low
Chris Maltby
I was really happy with my results, although my yield was 14 latkes rather than the 40 the recipe says I should have gotten. I'm sure I'll make these again, but I'll definitely try some adjustments to give them a little more oomph.
eg
These taste great, especially with applesauce. No sugar, but almost dessert-like. We used more oil than 1/4 cup, for sure. Squeezing out extra moisture and keeping them small helps.
Miriam
The flavor was good but they didn't stay together very well during the frying. Added an extra egg to try to give it more cohesiveness, and a bit more flour because the grated apples were very juicy. They took way longer than 3 minutes on each side.
Leslie
What is the purpose of the oat bran in the recipe? Can you just use more flour and if so how would it change it?
great idea (in theory)
I think MAYBE if you know how to make latke’s (I don’t) this is a good idea and they did come out tasty. BUT, parts of the written instructions don’t make ANY sense, and depending on what apples are used, the moisture content of the mixture will vary, which means the amount of flour/bran/baking powder will vary, if you want them to actually stay together.
mpf101
Agree with previous comments - instructions quite confusing. First batch a disaster - nothing hung together. But then we added more binder and started squeezing liquid out of each little ball. Result: very tasty latkes. I’d consider Granny Smiths next time - Braeburns are too sweet, watery, and bland.
gibby
I didn't make this because all of the comments above deterred me (or warned me). I also threw out my oat bran about a zillion years ago. I made the sweet potato latkes recipe on Epicurious instead, and it was great--and the suggestions from other cooks were also very good. Just sayin'. Happy Chanukah!
Cindy
This was a disaster.
Cindy
What a disaster. Everything just fell apart. They either burned or didn’t cook enough. Not crispy, even after oven
Dd
Are we really supposed to preheat the oven throughout this entire process just in case they fry too quickly and aren't soft enough in the middle? If we slide the spatula under the portion of the latke mixture and press down aren't we just pressing down on the sheet pan? I assume this is the sentence where crucial, yet inexplicably omitted, step of actually putting the mixture into the cooking oil should be inserted.
Dd
With 4 in the frying pan at a time do you really get through 10 batches on a single 1/4 cup of oil? We doubled the binder ingredients and it still wasn't quite enough. Yams don't have nearly as much moisture as potatoes so with twice the egg and grains they still barely held together. Think of this recipe as the inspiration for a great dish but understand that you're still going to have to figure out how to make it properly yourself, because the author has not yet done so.
Heidi
I agree with the comment above. I have made many different latkes from this website but these did not hold together. I should have added more egg? I measured everything out and the ingredients did not hold together. In the pan they fell apart and made a mess. Probably still delicious because the ingredients are so good but definitely not a latke, more like sweet potato hash.
Dd
Does anyone proof read these things? What is the purpose of using the 1/4 cup but only putting 2 Tbsp of mix in it, essentially filling it half full? I figured it was meant to work as a mold so are we supposed to pack the mix down into the cup? I tried that but the mix certainly did not release out of the cup cleanly. Why do we put them on parchment paper temporarily instead of just dropping the mix right into the frying pan?
L
So good. I've tried making latkes before with little success but she does a really good job of explaining the best way to get good results.
B
A little messy but worth it. Put it in your box.☆
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