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!
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
250gSweet Potatoes - sliced into roundels 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) any variety suitable; pics taken with orange-fleshed variety, common in the US.
1/8tspSaltadjust as per preference
1/8tspRed Chilli powder (Cayenne)adjust as per preference
1/4tspCumin powder
1/2tspJaggery powderGud/Gul; if not available, use sugar -any variety
4tspOil 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 tbspAmaranth flourIf not available, see Recipe Notes for alternatives
1tbspArrowroot starchacts as a binder; gluten-free and Upvas-suitable.
1/4cupWatermay need up to 1 tbsp more to adjust consistency of batter
1/8tspSaltadjust as per preference
1/4tsp Red Chilli powder (Cayenne)adjust as per preference
1/4tspCumin powder
1/16tspBaking sodaa small pinch
1/2tspOil
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
Add salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder and Jaggery powder. Toss and set aside for a few min.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Notes
Don't have Amaranth Flour?
Try one of the following alternatives: please check suitability for gluten-free diet and/or Upvas food.
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