Battered Sweet Potato Tacos from the 30-Minute Frugal Vegan Recipes

It’s that time of year again, isn’t it? Mixed emotions rush through nearly every household as carefree summer gives way to busy daily routines. I thought you could use a little help with some easy dairy-free dinners, like these Battered Sweet Potato Tacos. The recipe is a sample from the new cookbook 30-Minute Frugal Vegan Recipes by Melissa Copeland.

Battered Sweet Potato Tacos from the 30-Minute Frugal Vegan

30-Minute Frugal Vegan Recipes is a comforting collection filled with vibrant colors and warm plant-based dishes. The chapters hint at ease with lighthearted titles, like “Cheap-as-Chips Main Meals” and “Snappy Sweet Treats.” Fortunately, the recipes follow suit with budget-friendly ingredients and simple instructions. Here are a few examples that caught my eye.

• Smoky Mushroom Fajitas
• One-Pan Indian Spiced Rice Pilaf
• Quicker-Than-Takeout Chow Mein
• 20-Minute Drunken Noodles
• Cream Artichoke and Spinach Pasta
• Lasagna Soup
• Vietnamese Tofu Noodle Salad
• Mediterranean Wraps with Vegan Tzatziki
• Buffalo Chickpea Stuffed Potatoes
• Mini Quiche Cups
• Cranberry-Oat Breakfast Cookies
• Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

And of course, these Battered Sweet Potato Tacos. I suggested this particular recipe to share with you for fall, and Melissa agreed. Sweet potatoes are the perfect way to kick off the season, don’t you think?

Special Diet Notes: Battered Sweet Potato Tacos

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

Vegan Battered Sweet Potato Tacos

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

These fake fish tacos have all the essential components of a delicious Baja-style fish taco: a tangy cabbage slaw, a spicy cream sauce and crispy fried “fish,” which in this case is a sweet potato!

Author: Melissa Copeland

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 8 tacos

Ingredients

Slaw

• 2 cups packed (520 g) shredded cabbage
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
• ½ teaspoon salt

Battered Sweet Potato

• 1 large sweet potato (about 14 oz/400 g)
• Oil, for deep-frying
• ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1½ tablespoons (11 g) dairy-free taco seasoning
• ½ cup (120 ml) ice water (put a couple of ice cubes in a measuring cup and add water to the ½-cup (120-
• ml) mark)

Sriracha-Lime Mayo

• ½ cup (115 g) vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1½ to 2 teaspoons (8 to 10 ml) sriracha, to taste
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 small clove garlic, minced

To Serve

• 8 small corn tortillas
• Optional: fresh cilantro, sliced avocado

Instructions

1. To prepare the slaw, pack the cabbage and onion into a 1-pint (500 ml) mason jar. Pour in the vinegar and water and add the salt. If the cabbage is not completely submerged, add a bit more water. Put on the lid and shake it up to dissolve the salt.
2. Peel and slice the sweet potato into spears about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Put the spears on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high in 2-minute intervals until they can be pierced with a fork but are still firm (crisp-tender), 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. In a deep, medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. If you have a thermometer, heat to 350°F (177°C). Alternatively, you can dip a wooden chopstick into the oil, and when the oil bubbles around it, it’s ready.
4. While the oil is heating, prepare the sriracha-lime mayo. In a bowl, combine all of the mayo ingredients.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and taco seasoning. When your oil is hot and you’re ready to fry, stir the ice water into the flour mixture to make a thick batter. Don’t overmix; a few lumps are okay.
6. Working in batches of 3 or 4, pat the sweet potato spears dry with a paper towel. Dip each spear into the batter and then carefully drop it into the oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate.
7. Serve immediately on tortillas with the slaw, sriracha-lime mayo and any optional toppings.

Notes

Note: As with anything deep-fried, you have a window of optimal crispiness before the crust starts to cool and get soggy. If you’re feeding a family, you may want to start serving the tacos before you have finished frying all of the sweet potato spears. Alternatively, you can put them on a wire rack in a warm (250°F [120°C]) oven to help maintain some of their crispiness for a bit longer, but it’s best to eat them right away.

Credit: This recipe with photo is reprinted with permission from 30-Minute Frugal Vegan Recipes by Melissa Copeland, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019.

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More Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes

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