Sweet Potato Fritters with Lemon-Tahini Sauce

The barely-there binder in the batter makes for incredibly lacy, crispy fritters. Be sure to cook them gently over medium heat so they cook through and crisp up without burning.

Sweet Potato Fritters
Photo: Victor Protasio
Active Time:
55 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 5 mins
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

  • 2 tablespoons tahini

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded on a box grater

  • 1 pound turnips or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded on a box grater

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 medium leeks, thinly sliced

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • Vegetable oil, for frying

  • Baby kale, for serving

Directions

  1. Whisk together yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

  2. Place a colander over a large bowl; add sweet potatoes, turnips, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt; toss to combine. Let mixture stand 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a clean kitchen towel; gather up edges, and squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer sweet potato mixture to a medium bowl.

  3. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add leeks and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are soft and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cooked leeks, eggs, flour, cumin, turmeric, and ginger to sweet potato mixture, and stir until thoroughly combined.

  4. Wipe out skillet, and add a 1/8-inch layer of vegetable oil. Heat over medium until shimmering. Working in batches, spoon 2 tablespoons of batter for each fritter into skillet about 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly with a spatula. Cook until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to paper towels to drain; sprinkle with salt to taste. Add more oil to skillet between batches as needed. Serve with lemon-tahini sauce and kale.

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