Coriander & Chilli Sweet Potato Cakes

You probably know by now about my worrying obsession with fishcakes, I really do love them. I spent the day craving my fishy fishcakes but there was one tiny problem; I had no fish. Therefore I had to find an alternative way to fulfil my bazaar cravings. This was perfect opportunity to make use one of my favourite orange foods, the sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are packed full of vitamin A which is essential for strengthening your bodies immunity against infection. They also help regulate blood sugar levels and are jam-packed full of fibre, with nearly seven grams per serving - twice the amount of normal potatoes! Not only are they super healthy, but they're wonderfully tasty too. They have a delicious creamy texture and a sweet-spicy flavour which makes them the perfect component to a savoury dish. 

These sweet potato cakes are the perfect replacement to that fishcake craving, with the same mouth-watering crispy outer and squishy inner of my fishy fishcakes. To all you meat eaters out there that scowl at the sight of this vegan dish - stop right there! The chilli kick combined with a good seasoning completely transforms these sweet potatoes and stops you from missing any meat on your plate. Trust me, I'm a meat lover but would have them every day of the week if I could. The crushed coriander seeds and tomato puree brings the cakes to the next level. I like to enjoy these squishy orange delights on a bed of homegrown salad with juicy tomatoes and sliced avocado.

Makes 2 cakes

2 sweet potatoes

1 tsp hot chilli powder

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 dessert spoons tomato puree

1 tablespoon quinoa flour (or wholemeal flour/ brown rice flour/buckweat)

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil

Method

- Preheat oven to 200C/ Gas mark 6

- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into equal sized chunks. Steam the chunks for about 10-15 minutes or until they're soft and easily pierced with a fork. 

- In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with a fork until they're nearly smooth but still a bit lumpy. Grind the coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar. Stir in the crushed coriander, chilli powder, seasoning, juice of 1 lemon and tomato puree. 

- Mould the mixture into 2 even sized cakes. 

- To ensure a crispy outer, dust the cakes with flour, place in a baking tray and cook for about 7 minutes at 200C. Then place them flour side down in a frying pan over a high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Leave for about 5-7 minutes or until brown and crisp. Do the same with the other side and flip the cakes over until brown and crisp. 

Serve on a bed of fresh salad and enjoy!