Sweet Potato Latkes with Scallions and Kimchi

As I’m sure you’re well aware by now, fried potatoes are among my favorite things in the world, right up there with miniature ponies, massages, and videos of Taylor Swift awkwardly smashing shit with a golf club.

Come Christmakkah, I put aside my usual French fries and primary condiments in favor of some Jewish potato pancake love with far fahncier accoutrements—things like caviar and crème fraiche that they definitely never served at the shtetl.

Besides the condiments, there’s something else that makes potato latkes a definitive special occasion treat for me. And that’s the amount of grating that’s involved.

There are few kitchen tasks I hate more than shredding vegetables on the side of a box grater, which inevitably takes off a few of my knuckles in the process. I’m pretty sure latkes were intentionally designed this way so that Jewish mothers could make the men in their lives feel even more guilty for the blood, sweat, and tears that went into Hanukkah dinner, and therefore force them to go back for thirds.

It’s for this reason that potato latkes are something I much prefer buying or eating off the back of someone else’s kitchen misery. But since they are usually made with white flour, that is sadly no longer an option.

So this year I sucked it up and created these gluten-free sweet potato latkes. They’re spiced with ground ginger and a hint of cayenne, and packed with scallions, since the only thing worse than grating potatoes is grating onions. They’re made with rice flour and the result kind of tastes similar to a scallion pancake at a Chinese restaurant, which feels duly appropriate for Christmakkah. I recently made them with some chopped up kimchi and that doubled down on all my Asian pancake fantasies.

What great gluten-free finger food do you have planned for this holiday season? Let me know in the comments!

Happy cooking!

Xo
Phoebe

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Latkes with Scallions and Kimchi

No ratings yet

print recipe

These gluten-free sweet potato latkes are made with white rice flour and packed with healthy spices and scallions.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 dozen latkes

Author Phoebe Lapine

Ingredients

• 4 scallions thinly sliced on the bias
• 1 pound sweet potatoes peeled and coarsely grated
• 1/2 cup finely chopped kimchi optional
• 4 large eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Greek yogurt or sour cream for serving

Instructions

• Combine the scallion, sweet potato, kimchi (if using) egg, flour, salt, ground ginger, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl and stir until incorporated.
• Heat a thin layer of oil in a large non-stick skillet (preferably cast iron). Add the latke mixture to the pan in batches, a heaping tablespoon per patty, and fry over high heat until dark brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. If your stove is uneven, tilt the pan to redistrubte the oil every once in a while. Remove the latkes to a paper-towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil as necessary (about 4 batches total, depending on the size of your pan).
• Serve immediately with Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Notes

To make the latkes in advance, simply reheat on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until sizzling, 10 minutes.

If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe - I'd love to see it!