Low-Calorie Oven-Baked Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Latkes
Hanukkah – it has many faces.
On one hand, it's winter and chilly (a mild winter this year, right?), and all you want to do is devour latkes, donuts, and other fried treats.
On the other hand, every Hanukkah has the "day after" Hanukkah.
My solution is cauliflower and sweet potato latkes with whole spelt flour, baked in the oven, so you can snack without thinking twice.
They are delicious, festive, perfectly moist, and completely provide the feeling of a warm, celebratory latke without flooding us from within with feelings of "Oh no, this is tasty but full of calories" – get that thought out of your system in general, regardless.
If you didn't know, cauliflower is a particularly low-calorie vegetable; 100g of cauliflower contains only 25 kcal and less than a quarter gram of fat.
I don't know about you, but I'm personally in love—maybe it's the graceful florets, maybe it's the delicate flavor that does it for me, but cauliflower is a permanent resident in my home.
Read a bit more about cauliflower on Wikipedia if you don't believe me.
A bit about the cauliflower and sweet potato latkes
To give the latke low-calorie volume, I used a large, beautiful head of cauliflower and a bit of sweet potato.
The cauliflower provides bulk, is very rich in fiber, has a non-dominant flavor, and is actually not felt at all in the latke.
I used sweet potato which also gives a stunning color, plenty of antioxidants, and dietary fiber.
To stabilize the cauliflower and sweet potato mixture, I used raw tahini and whole spelt flour. You can replace it with any flour you like, such as gluten-free flour, white flour, or chickpea flour. Go wild!
The seasoning for the latke is very simple: garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper. You can upgrade them however you like with things like sugar, chili, herbs, and more.
It will only do the latke good.
To create perfect latkes, I highly recommend making them with wet or slightly oiled hands. This will keep the mixture from sticking to your hands and make your life really easy.
If you're in the mood for a sweet latke – simply replace the garlic and lemon with a little cinnamon and brown sugar. The latke will come out soft, sweet, and especially festive. Maybe I'll make a special recipe for that, who knows.
Nutritional values for cauliflower and sweet potato latkes
One latke out of 40, weighing 40g, will contain:
- 40 kcal
- 1g protein
- 5g carbohydrates
- 1g fat
- 1g dietary fiber
Have cauliflower left over? How about some vegan cauliflower patties?
Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Latkes
Ingredients
- 1 Cauliflower medium-sized
- 1 Sweet Potato medium-sized
- 3 tbsp Raw Tahini
- 1 cup Spelt Flour
- Juice from half a lemon
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt/Pepper
Instructions
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Wash and break the cauliflower into small florets.
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Peel and slice the sweet potatoes.
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Boil the cauliflower and sweet potato in a pot of boiling water until soft.
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Drain the water and use a potato masher to mash the vegetables into a smooth mash.
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Add tahini, flour, lemon, garlic, salt, and mix well until a uniform dough is formed.
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Preheat oven to a high heat of 200°C.
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With wet hands, form latkes about the size of a ping-pong ball.
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Drizzle a little olive oil over them.
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Place on a baking sheet.
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Bake for about 15 minutes until golden.
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Devour while hot!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
For a sweet version:
Replace the garlic and lemon with cinnamon and a tablespoon of brown sugar.
