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Liberian Fried Sweet Potato Puffs

Fried sweet potato puffs made with mashed sweet potatoes, egg, flour, spices, and oil.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Liberian Fried Sweet Potato Puffs

Time3–4 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the batter

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the beaten egg.

  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and cloves.

  3. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture, stirring until well combined.

Fry and serve

  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or deep-fryer to 350°F (175°C).

  2. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, carefully drop spoonfuls of the sweet potato mixture into the hot oil.

  3. Fry the sweet potato puffs in batches for about 3–4 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.

  4. Remove the fried puffs from the oil using a slotted spoon, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.

  5. Serve warm as a snack or appetizer.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

844Calories
24 gProtein
21 gFat
139 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Nutmeg1 tsp ground (2.2g)12
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Cinnamon1 tsp ground (2.6g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together11,917 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together14,189 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).

  3. Nutmeg + clovetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together8,686 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  4. Sweet potato + cinnamontop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together539 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  5. Sweet potato + nutmegtop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together414 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sweet potatoes
Provide the bulk, moisture and natural sweetness of the puffs.
Egg
Binds the mashed sweet potato so the puffs hold their shape.
All-purpose flour
Adds starch that helps the batter set and gives the puffs a sturdy crust.
Baking powder
Releases gas in the hot oil, helping the puffs rise and turn light.

The step that matters

Frying at the right temperature. Oil at 350°F browns the outside quickly while the inside cooks through. Oil that is too cool lets the batter soak up grease and turn heavy, while oil that is too hot browns the outside before the centre sets.

Swap the sweet potato

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, flour, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove):

  1. Arrowrootfits about as well
  2. Sweet potatothe original
  3. Parsnipfits about as well
  4. Shallotfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against egg, flour, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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