I didn’t know a thing about latkes when I married my husband, so when I started cooking them, of course I had to tweak tradition. I came up with this version, using one of my favorite southern vegetables and a little spice, which is our favorite today. I save time and grate the sweet potatoes and onion together in a food processor.
2 cups coarsely grated sweet potatoes
1 small onion, coarsely grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Vegetable oil
Applesauce and sour cream
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, salt, chili powder, and cinnamon. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the sweet potato mixture per latke and place in the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan so the oil will stay hot. Press the patties gently with the back of a spoon to flatten them out. Fry, turning once, until browned on both sides.
Drain on a wire rack placed over a platter for a few minutes, then transfer to a paper towel-lined platter and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining latkes. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.