Sweet Potato and Chickpea Fritters from Soweto

Submitted by Zurie

"This is served as a starter in a 4 star hotel in Soweto. This hotel succeeds in combining international sophistication with traditional African foods. It is originally a recipe from North Africa. The hotel serves it in fine-dining fashion as a starter, garnished with cilantro and chakalaka. (Soweto is the sprawling African township on the edge of Johannesburg. Chakalaka, which we usually buy canned, is a combo of tomatoes, green hot peppers and spices. Use a hot Mexican-type salsa instead). Recipe from Food & Home, Aug 2008."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 14 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (400 g)
• 8 ounces chickpeas, cooked and drained (or use a can (240 g)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 -2 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped (known as coriander leaves here)
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml)
• 3 1⁄2 ounces flour (100 g)
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons oil, for shallow-frying

directions

1. Cook the sweet potato until soft, about 10 - 15 minutes, then drain.
2. In a bowl, combine the sweet potato, chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, lemon juice and about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix to a paste.
3. Sprinkle flour over little by little, and work into the paste. Add black pepper to taste.
4. Roll the fritters into balls in your palm (small balls), then flatten them.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Shallow-fry the fritters until cooked through and golden, about 3 - 4 minutes on each side.
6. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, on warmed plates, with a garnish of cilantro and chakalaka or hot salsa.

Reviews

[aylix]

This was sooooo very good! Very easy to make. I increased the recipe to 10 servings and I had difficulty getting it to the consistency of being able to roll it in my hand. It was like trying to roll mashed potatoes. I added a lot more flour and still couldn't get it to roll in my hand. Next time I will not add any more flour and just plop it in the pan. I made a Peri Peri sauce to go with it. They were gobbled up in seconds.