I love little portion sized cakes or patties like falafel or meatballs because I always hope that I can freeze some. It never ends up that way though as they usually get eaten while still hot from the oven. So I usually make double the batch. Anything bite size or handheld that can be picked up is perfect for kids. I like to make these little sweet potato cakes with baked sweet potato slices. Just cut them up thickly into coins then bake in a really hot oven. They dry out just enough while developing a nice hint of caramel.
The best way to make baked sweet potato chips is just to cut them, dry them and spread out on parchment paper. Then bake in a hot oven. They don’t need any oil. Their natural sweetness is heightened when baked. Just scatter with some spices, sea salt or ground seaweed for a delicious alternative to regular potato chips.
This is a great basic recipe where I’ve added some Middle Eastern spice mix, Baharat, for flavour. You can use anything like Harissa paste, Garam Masala or a mixture or ground cumin and coriander. The chickpea potato mix can take a lot of seasoning so don’t be shy with the herbs and spices.
Fresh chopped coriander is perfect in these. Taste the mixture as you’re making it and adjust the seasoning as necessary. These are lovely hot and crisp on the outside stuffed into warm pitta bread or rolled into warm corn tortillas. I usually serve them with something like raita, guacamole, salsa or tzatziki. Some crunchy sauerkraut, herbs and green leaves are delicious contrasts to the sweetness of the spicy potato cakes. Use whatever spices you’ve added to guide you, so raita with the garam masala and guacamole with the cumin and so on. These are perfect for packed lunches too and reheat well.
I’ve used ground linseed to bind these together. I always make my own in small batches as I need it either in the Nutribullet or the coffee grinder. Just blitz some dried rice in the coffee grinder first to remove any residual coffee that might be hiding. Ground chia seeds would work just as well in place of the linseed.
Spiced Sweet Potato Cakes
Makes 12-16
600g sweet potato
3 tbsp ground linseed
250g cooked chickpeas (1x 400g tin, drained)
2 tbsp Baharat spice mix or any of the spices suggested above
Small bunch of coriander and mint
To serve: Warm pitta breads or tortillas, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and salad leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
Slice the sweet potato into thick 1” coins. Bake till just tender. This usually takes about 30 minutes. Leave to cool slightly. Remove the skin from the sweet potato slices and discard.
Place the sweet potato, ground linseed and cooked chickpeas into the bowl of a food processor. Add the spices and 1tsp sea salt. Blitz till combined but not smooth or in a paste. Finely chop the herbs and add to the bowl. Blitz briefly till just combined. Taste for seasoning.
Wet your hands and take heaped tablespoons of the mix and form into a little cake. Place on the tray in rows. The cakes will not spread so can be quite close together. Repeat with the remaining mix, wetting your hands each time it gets sticky.
Bake the potato cakes for 30-35 minutes or until crusty and golden on the outside. You’ll know they’re cooked when they can be removed easily from the baking paper.
Serve with warm pitta breads or tortillas and a selection of sauces and salad.
