These fritters are a sweet/savoury twist on classic Chanukah latkes. They come with a zingy dipping sauce that gives each bite an extra kick. I’ve used spelt flour for its nutty, almost honeyed flavour, but plain white flour works too if you prefer a softer, milder taste. Either way, these fritters are bound to become a new favourite— not just for Chanukah

Method

• Bring two small-to-medium saucepans of salted water to a boil. Cut the sweet potatoes and butternut squash into 4–5 cm chunks. Place the sweet potatoes in one pan and the butternut squash in the other. Simmer until soft — about 15 minutes for the butternut squash and 20 minutes for the sweet potatoes; a fork should slide through easily.
• Drain well, gently break them up with a fork, and leave them to cool and drain further in a colander for about 20 minutes. Transfer both to one bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork or your hands. Add the soy sauce, sugar, salt and mix again. Finally, add the flour and mix just until combined—don’t overwork it or it will become too gooey. Let the mixture rest for 15–20 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare the dipping sauce by combining the sour cream with the zest of half the lemon, wasabi, ginger, half the sumac, and salt. Transfer to a bowl and top with the remaining zest, sumac, and fresh chives or parsley.
• To cook the fritters, warm the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. You can either spoon walnut-sized portions of the batter directly into the pan or transfer the batter to a piping or sandwich bag and pipe it in for a neater finish. Flatten the balls gently and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Carefully transfer to kitchen paper – they will be soft.
• Repeat with the remaining mixture, adding more oil as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the dipping sauce. They can be reheated in the oven (not the microwave!).

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