Sweet Potato Cakes with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

There were a few gloriously warm days a week or two ago. With this break from the cold and snow, I did what I think many other green-thumbs did -- went out into the backyard to survey the gardens. Lo and behold -- fresh cilantro!

Sweet Potato Cakes with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

Thinly sliced leeks.

Sweet Potato Cakes with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce- Recipe

This recipe was inspired from The Sprouted Kitchen
Makes 12-14 cakes (enough for 4 servings)

Cakes:

2 lbs (about 2 large, 4 small) sweet potatoes, cut in half or large chunks
1 T butter
1 leek, halved, thinly sliced, and rinsed well (about 1 1/2 c sliced)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t soy sauce
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 t paprika + 1/4 t for garnish
3/4 c unbleached all purpose flour
1 egg, well whisked

1/2 c vegetable oil for frying

Cilantro yogurt sauce:

1/2 c greek yogurt
2 T lemon juice
1 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T finely chopped cilantro
1 T finely grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

• Steam the potatoes until tender. Allow to cool slightly then peel and discard skin. (If the potatoes are super-moist, place on a baking tray in the oven for 10 mins at 325°F to dry out slightly.)

• While the potatoes cook, warm the butter in a pan and saute the leeks and garlic until softened, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

• Mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl and mix them with the soy sauce, salt, 1/4 t paprika, and flour to combine. You want the mix to be tacky not wet, add more flour if it seems too moist to hold shape. Add the leeks and egg and mix to combine. Refrigerate mix for at least 30 mins.

• Prepare cilantro yogurt sauce by combining all ingredients together in a small bowl. Adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper and lemon juice to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

• Over medium-high heat, preheat a saute pan and then heat 1/4 c of the vegetable oil in the pan. Using two large spoons, drop 1/4 c size dollops of potato mix into the hot oil, pressing down to flatten. Cook until well browned, about 3-4 minutes per side, adjusting heat as necessary if they start to darken too much. Remove to a paper toweled lined plate to absorb excess oil while you cook another batch.

• Serve the cakes hot with the cilantro yogurt sauce and a small lettuce or greens salad. Garnish with a pinch of paprika and fresh ground black pepper.

Variations

- I think this recipe could be adapted to gluten-free by substituting 1/4 -1/2 c of coconut flour for all-purpose flour. I haven't tried it yet though. I might just do it anyway because the cakes are moist- the coconut flour would help to dry them out.

- Substitute basil for cilantro in the yogurt sauce and lime for lemon if you prefer.

- Substitute 1 t ground cumin for soy sauce and use lime for lemon. You could also add 1/2 c of well-drained corn to the cakes as well. ¡Olé!

- Substitute the 1 T of lemon zest for 1 T of finely diced preserved lemon peel.

- Prepare these cakes for breakfast and serve with eggs and bacon instead of hash browns.

- Use the yogurt sauce for salad dressing.

- To thicken the sauce to use as a dip for fresh veggies, allow the yogurt to drain through a cheesecloth to remove excess moisture before adding the other ingredients.