1. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, aromatic spices, and black pepper thoroughly. Add enough fresh water, little by little, to make a thick clingy batter.
2. Stir in the cut up/shredded sweet potato. Heat oil in skillet until batter will sizzle when put in. Add a fat tablespoon of veggie-laden batter somewhere along the edge.
3. Figure out how many more similar "fritters" will fit with plenty of room between, and add them to the pan. Fiddle with them to make sure they'll let go of the hot metal.
4. When they're dark golden, flip them carefully and get them the same color on the other side. Lift out, drain, and blot on paper towels or a chunk of brown bag.
2-3 big carrots work superbly in place of the potato. Also, 1-2 onions, diced finely or sliced into feathery half moons, work great if you substitute thyme for the sweet aromatic spice
These are good sandwich fillers when you want the easiest possible good-to-bite patty, with mustard or ketchup, chutney, barbecue sauce, or any other compatible relish. They are also great beside a salad, eaten with any of the same range of sauces.
If you make these with onions, do use a little cornmeal in the batter; they will taste like onion rings and kill a fast food craving in one fell swoop.