Sweet potato flatbreads with Tex - Mex roasted vegetables and tofu
​
You are probably more likely to come across these served with curry but here I’m using them as I would a corn tortilla and filling it with Tex Mex roasted vegetables and more controversially Tex Mex marinated and slowly cooked Tofu. I’m well aware that there’s nothing remotely Mex about Tofu but by stuffing it full of the pungent, hot, sour seasoning of Mexico, you’d never know that it’s an imposter. It is right at home here, in fact. It isn’t usual to add either the salt, or the herbs to the dough but I found it both tastier and prettier to do so, though in fact the photo doesn't show this.
It’s important not to peel the potato, so that it doesn’t go soggy although completely soft and equally important to peel it while it’s hot, using the point of a small knife to help you.
Equipment
A frying pan or pancake pan
Basket or plate and clean tea towel
​
Ingredients
Makes 4- 6 flatbreads
​
1 large sweet potato, about 280g, left whole
1 cup plain flour
Pinch salt
Small handful chopped coriander, optional
Method
Line a basket or bowl with a clean tea towel and set aside.
Place the whole, unpeeled sweet potato in a pan full of water and boil till soft. Check with a fork to see that it really is soft.
Mash up the flesh while still hot and sift the flour and pinch of salt into it. Also add the herbs if using. Measure out and use exactly one cup of flesh. A large sweet potato should do it exactly.
Initially use a fork to bring flesh and flour together, as the mixture may be too hot to handle but finish it off with your hands, as it cools down a little. As soon as the dough has formed, stop. Do not overwork it, or add more flour than necessary, or your flatbread will turn out hard.
Flour your work surface and roll dough into a log.
Cut into 6 equal portions.
Keeping a bowl of flour close by, dip your hands into the flour and lightly roll each portion into a ball. Place on a lightly floured plate.
Sprinkle with flour again, if too sticky and flatten the edge all the way around using your thumb and forefinger to help the disc stay round.
Lightly flour your surface once more and roll each piece, in short, gentle strokes, turning it by small turns in a clockwise direction between each roll, again in order to keep the flatbread round, till 2 mm thick. Dust off excess flour. With practice, you’ll find that you can achieve this just with the flicking motion of your wrist and rolling pin.
Heat a frying pan or skillet on a medium heat till hot and flip one flatbread onto it. After 30 seconds flip onto the other side. Repeat the motion for about 2 ½ minutes, till bubbles start to appear on the surface. At this point, keep on the pan for about 45 seconds till really puffy.
Place the first flatbread on top of the tea towel and cover over, while you make the second one.
Unwrap the first, place the second one on top of it, cover again and start again. Occasionally flip the rotis over, so that the last one is sandwiched in between the ones already in the basket. This helps to keep them all soft and warm which is of course how they are best eaten.
Otherwise, freeze them and bring them back to life, wrapped up in foil, placed in a warm oven for a few minutes.