Spicy Sweet Potato Pancakes with Holiday Guacamole

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup light olive oil or peanut oil, for frying
• 1 large Idaho potato, peeled and shredded
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, cracker meal, or matzo meal
• 1 tablespoons chili powder, couple of palm fulls
• 2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika, 2/3 palm full
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2/3 palm full
• 2 teaspoons coriander, 2/3 palm full
• Salt
• 2 Hass avocados
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 small glove garlic, pasted up with some salt
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
• 3/4 cup pomegranate juice

Directions

Heat about 1/3 cup of oil over medium to medium-high heat.

Drain the shredded potatoes, pressing them down in a colander to get their moisture out. Place the potatoes in a bowl; using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the potatoes so that the onion juices fall into bowl as well. Add the egg and flour or meal to the bowl then season with spices and salt. Combine and drop enough batter into hot oil to make 2 1/2-inch pancakes. Add more oil, as needed, and fry cakes in batches until deeply golden on each side.

You will get about 16 pancakes. Drain cooked cakes on paper towels.

Cut the avocados in half, all the way around the pit. Remove the pit with a spoon, then scoop the flesh into a bowl and add the lemon juice, onion, garlic, jalapenos and a generous amount of salt. Mash the guacamole to a smooth consistency.

Reduce the pomegranate juice to a syrup.

Arrange the potato pancakes on a platter and top with heaping spoonfuls of guacamole.

Drizzle pomegranate syrup over the guacamole and serve.