Sweet Potato Rotis

They look very pale, don't they? That's because I used a Georgia Jet sweet potato and they are pale. The more usual orange-fleshed sweet potatoes should yield oranger results. Soft, chewy, and tasty flatbreads either way though. I was really taken with these and plan to make them again soon.

I've gone into a lot of detail in the instructions. This is mostly a simple and flexible recipe, but it's bread and bread has its little ways. The amount of flour will fluctuate with the moistness of the sweet potato, and that will fluctuate with, hm, quite a number of factors. Don't worry about the amount of extra flour that gets absorbed; the important thing is to get the dough texture right then avoid having it stick to everything. I had a lifter to turn them and take them out of the pan, and I also used a thin metal pie-lifter to help get the rotis off the counter and to scrape up any sticky matter.

I've seen a number of flours called for to make these, and most recipes don't call for oil or baking powder, although I thought they would be a good idea. You can also add finely chopped herbs or spices, according to taste or availability.

6 rotis
30 minutes prep time once the sweet potato is cooked
which will admittedly take the better part of 1 1/2 hours

1 large sweet potato (1 cup when cooked and mashed)
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hard unbleached OR whole wheat flour; plus more to roll out
1 teaspoon baking powder
a little mild vegetable oil to cook

Bake the sweet potato until quite soft, then let cool. (Leftover? Why, soitenly!) Peel and mash the sweet potato thoroughly. Measure it out, and mix it in a smallish mixing bowl with the oil and salt.

Measure the flour and mix the baking powder into it. Stir it into the sweet potato and turn the mixture out onto a clean counter or board to work. Knead the dough, sprinkling both the dough and the board with flour as required, until you have a smooth, soft, but not excessively sticky dough. Cut it into 6 equal portions, and put a large skillet on to heat over medium-high heat.

Take one portion and pat it out as thin and round as is easy by hand, again sprinkling it and the board with flour as needed to prevent sticking. At this point, apply the rolling pin to roll it quite thin; as thin as you can get it, unless you are an old hand at making phyllo in which case, no; not that thin. Tortilla thickness, basically.

Brush the pan with oil - I pour a little into a small bowl and use a bit of paper towel to brush it - just a thin film. Carefully lay the rolled roti in the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until firm, dry, and lightly browned in spots. If you can't slide the lifter under it without it wanting to wrinkle up, it isn't done. They go pretty quickly though.

You should have just about enough time while the first roti cooks to roll out the second roti as above. Again, use regular sprinklings of flour to prevent sticking. I found it necessary to scrape the counter with a thin blade every second roti to prevent a faint build-up of dough from wreaking havoc. Brush the pan with another smear of oil every time you change rotis.

As the rotis cook, lay them on a plate and keep covered with a clean tea-towel. This will keep them steamy and a little warm, which helps keep them soft. Once they are all done, they can be served. If made in advance, they can be heated briefly in the skillet. Lay in two at a time and flip them when the bottom one is warm. They will both warm up nicely that way. Send them to the table wrapped in their towel.




Last year at this time I made Spumoni Cookies.

Posted in: Ontario Food