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–+ servings
sweet potato fritters Upvas style

Sweet Potato Fritters - Easy To Make With Amaranth batter

Wash and slice sweet potatoes; toss with seasonings and set aside for a few min. Whisk together amaranth flour, arrowroot flour and water till smooth, then stir in seasonings. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Arrange lightly batter-dipped sweet potato slices in a single layer. Cover and cook for a few min, then flip and cook the other side, uncovered, until browned. Serve hot with a creamy dip, such as peanut-yogurt chutney. Fritters and Chutney are both suitable for Upvas days. Enjoy!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Indian, Maharashtrian
Servings 3 people
Calories 165 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 non-stick frying pan (8 - 10 inch; 20 - 30 cm) If not available, a heavy bottomed stainless steel or cast-iron pan is fine too; you might need a little more oil for frying.
  • 1 Sturdy heat-safe spatula/turner suitable for using with non-stick pans Small turner is preferred for flipping the small slices.

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g Sweet Potatoes - sliced into roundels 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) any variety suitable; pics taken with orange-fleshed variety, common in the US.
  • 1/8 tsp Salt adjust as per preference
  • 1/8 tsp Red Chilli powder (Cayenne) adjust as per preference
  • 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp Jaggery powder Gud/Gul; if not available, use sugar -any variety
  • 4 tsp Oil For pan-frying; I like to use peanut oil; can also use Ghee; other mild flavored edible oil OK too; Note: if making for Upvas, check suitability of the oil you decide to use.

For Amaranth Batter

  • 3 tbsp Amaranth flour If not available, see Recipe Notes for alternatives
  • 1 tbsp Arrowroot starch acts as a binder; gluten-free and Upvas-suitable.
  • 1/4 cup Water may need up to 1 tbsp more to adjust consistency of batter
  • 1/8 tsp Salt adjust as per preference
  • 1/4 tsp Red Chilli powder (Cayenne) adjust as per preference
  • 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1/16 tsp Baking soda a small pinch
  • 1/2 tsp Oil

Instructions
 

  • Soak the sweet potato in water for a few min. Scrub and rinse thoroughly.
  • Slice the sweet potato into medium thick roundels - about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick
    sweet potato rounds
  • Add salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder and Jaggery powder. Toss and set aside for a few min.
    seasonings and sweet potato slices
  • Meanwhile, make the Amaranth batter. Whisk together the Amaranth flour and water till smooth and lump-free.
  • Add the remaining seasonings and stir to mix. Set aside while the pan heats up. The batter thickens a little as the amaranth flour absorbs the water.
    Note: Do not make the batter too much in advance or it becomes too thick. Adding water to thin it out doesn't work too well for the fritters - they tend to become soggy and a bit sticky as they cook; when you try to flip them, the batter starts to comes off the sweet potato slices.
  • Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat - 2-3 min. Spread the oil with a spatula.
    oil for pan-frying
  • While the pan heats up, check on the seasoned sweet potato slices. They look a bit wet, because the salt and sugar releases a little moisture. Use your fingers to rub the seasonings evenly on both sides of each slice.
  • Dip the sweet-potato slices, one at a time into the batter. I recommend using two forks (or a fork and a slotted spoon) to do this. Turn each slice to coat with batter all around. Lift with a fork and carefully place on the hot frying pan.
    Repeat with more slices, leaving a a bit of space between the pieces.
    frying batter dipped sweet potato
  • Cover and cook on medium heat for 3-4 min. Remove the cover and look for signs of browning on the underside. Notice how the edges are a bit lacy and starting to look brown. They are now ready to flip - flip one piece and check, just to make sure they're done- it should look crisp and golden brown.
    fritters ready to flip - sweet potatoes
  • Drizzle a few drops of oil on top of each slice, then flip. If need be, add a few drops of oil around the edges of each fritter. Cook uncovered for 2-3 min on medium heat, check for browning on the underside (flip one to check).
    When done, transfer to a serving dish. Repeat with the remaining slices.
  • Serve them hot with a creamy dip, along with with tea/coffee. Shown here with Peanut-Yogurt Chutney.
    sweet potato fritters Upvas style

Notes

Don't have Amaranth Flour?
Try one of the following alternatives: please check suitability for gluten-free diet and/or Upvas food.
  • Buckwheat flour: 3 tbsp
    • add 1 tbsp Arrowroot flour for better binding
    • Gluten-free
    • Upvas-suitable
  • Besan (Chickpea flour, Bengal Gram flour, Chana Dal flour): 4 tbsp
    • no need to add arrowroot flour
    • Gluten-free 
    • not Upvas-suitable
  • All-Purpose flour (Maida): 4 tbsp
    • no need to add arrowroot flour
    • not gluten-free
    • not Upvas-suitable
 
Storing leftovers:
I recommend making just enough to minimize the amount leftover. I very rarely have leftovers, because they usually get polished off pretty quickly.
If you do have a few pieces leftover, though, place them in a lidded container and refrigerate.I suggest serving them at breakfast or save for an afternoon treat.
  • Try to consume within 1-2 days -
To reheat leftover pieces
  • Place on a tray in a toaster oven; toast for a few min until heated through
  • Place on a preheated frying pan for a few minutes until completely heated through

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 266mgPotassium: 292mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 11931IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Amaranth flour, Gud powder, In a Jiffy, Jaggery powder, sugar, Sweet Potatoes, Upvas food
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