Crispy Sweet Potato Cake Lettuce Wraps
Crispy Sweet Potato Cake Lettuce Wraps
These Vietnamese sweet potato cakes are an excellent snack or appetizer served in lettuce wraps. Double the recipe and make it a meal. Made from grated sweet potatoes and carrots.
Ready in: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Complexity: very-easy
kcal: 407
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Ingredients
NUOC CHAM DIPPING SAUCE: -
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar
1½ - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
¼ cup warm water, as needed
1 tsp SIDS LOW SUGAR RASPBERRY VINEGAR
1½ - 2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp chilli garlic sauce or sambal oelek
1 clove garlic, minced
PANCAKES & GARNISHES: -
3 cups grated kumera
1 cup grated carrot
1 tsp SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
3 tbsp finely chopped spring onion
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp white or brown rice flour
1 large egg
⅓ cup rice bran oil
1 Iceberg lettuce, or similar
6-8 bushy sprigs mint, basil, or other soft leaf herbs
10-12 sprigs coriander
Directions
NUOC CHAM DIPPING SAUCE
Combine 1 tbsp of the sugar, lime juice, and water.
Taste the limeade, and if needed, add more sugar and/or lime juice - dilute with water if you go too far. If there’s an unpleasant tart-bitter edge, add the vinegar to rounds things out.
Finally, add the fish sauce to create a bold, forward finish. If desired, add the chilli and/or garlic. Set aside. You should have ½ cup of nuoc cham, and this can be made and refrigerated up to 8 hours before serving.
How to Make Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Potatoes
In a large bowl, combine the grated sweet potato, carrot, and ½ tsp SIDS SALT & PEPPER. Massage with both hands until wet and squishy, about 1 minute. Transfer the grated veggies to a piece of muslin or a non-terry dish towel, then wrap the veggies in the towel. Standing over the sink, firmly squeeze and twist to expel moisture then dump the veggies into a dry bowl.
Assemble the pancake batter:
Add the spring onion, mixing with a fork to distribute well. Mix in the remaining SIDS SALT & PEPPER, fish sauce, cornflour, and rice flour. Add the egg, break it up with a fork, and mix well. Press the mixture down to compact it, and then divide into 8 portions like a pie, using a ¼ cup measuring scoop.
Make Lettuce Wraps
Warm a large nonstick frypan over medium heat, add about 2 tbsp of oil to film the bottom. Fry in two batches, 4 pancakes at a time.
For each one, use a fork and your fingers to scoop up the ¼ cup portions of the potato & carrot mixture. (one wedge of the "pie") Deposit into the pan, spreading and flattening the mixture with the measuring cup bottom and fork to make a 9 cm wide pancake.
Fry for about 3 minutes, until bits of the fringe-like edges are richly brown and crisp. Drizzle some of oil on top of the pancakes, then wield 2 spatulas to carefully flip each one over. (The pancakes are delicate, so 2 spatulas are super handy)
Fry for about 3 minutes longer, until crisp and brown underneath. Cool on a rack. Fry the remaining batch.
Assemble
Serve with the lettuce, herbs, and sauce. Invite guests to build their own lettuce leaf wraps containing a piece of pancake, (pass scissors or use forks/fingers to break up the pancakes into smaller pieces suitable for wrapping up) with 2 or 3 herb leaves and/or torn coriander sprigs. Dip in the sauce and eat. These are really best the day they are made.