Vegan Carrot & Sweet Potato Latkes

½ cup chickpea flour (see notes section)
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup water at room temperature
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
4 carrots (may be rainbow colors), peeled
½ cup diced red or yellow onion
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Olive oil for frying

1. Put chickpea flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl and mix with a fork. Add lemon juice and water and mix to a smooth paste, using a fork or a hand whisk. Set aside.
2. Grate sweet potato and carrots on a large hole grater (easier to do with a food processor grating disk, if you have one) and add to the chickpea mix. Add diced onion and rosemary and mix well, making sure the chickpea paste covers all the veggies. You will get a relatively dry mixture.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels.
4. Cover the bottom of a non-stick frying pan with oil (about 1/16 inch) over medium heat. When oil is hot, take a small spoonful of the mixture and tighten it with your hands, shaping a small flat latke, then gently place in the pan. Repeat with a few more latkes, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. The oil should simmer gently. When the latkes are golden on one side (after about 2-3 minutes) flip them and fry until they’re golden on both side, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the mixture.
5. Serve latkes immediately or at room temperature. You can reheat these in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5-7 minutes.

1. Chickpea flour is available at health supermarkets, like Whole Foods, at Indian supermarkets and online. The binding agent, similar to the pakora’s, is made with chickpea flour mixed with water, lemon juice, baking powder and spices. What makes this version more latke-like is the grated (and not diced) carrots, sweet potato, onion and fresh rosemary, and the proportions between them (less chickpea base, more veggies.) The chickpea paste holds the veggies together and does not require eggs, making it naturally vegan. And delicious too!
2. For more photos of this challah and more recipes, visit Vered Guttman’s website. and follow Vered on Instagram.