the sweet potato resurfaces

those of you who have been following my blog basically know i've never been a sweet potato lover. in fact, they really used to "gross me out," as we say in vernacular english. everything about them bothered me: their taste, their smell and, ewww, especially their texture. a few months back, i even posted an entry which detailed my disdain for them.

that post, however, also spoke of the reanalysis of my relationship with this hefty orange tuber after a fortuitous discovery and included the recipe which changed my mind about them. since that time i've tried other things — all of which, once again, started to reinforce my old hatred and none that made a dent in my further wanting to explore its virtues. well, until recently, that is ....

this new discovery, from several weeks, back has literally expanded and inflated {pun intended} my sweet potato repertoire, thus making a total of two things i'll now eat (a good thing since it's always been zero!). in this instance, my nemesis reinvents itself in the form of a flatbread which can take its shape in either of two ways. both types are commonly seen on the indian table but one is reserved for more lavish occasions like dinner parties due to the fact it is fried in oil — not something you want to indulge in every day.

called pooris, these breads of north indian origin are well worth the effort, if only once or twice a year. cooking them is fun, too, as you see them swell up into small balloons right before your very eyes.

the other option, a more calorie conscious one, is to "dry fry" (i.e. griddle bake) them as is done with phulka breads. after quickly roasting them directing over a heat source (see recipe), they will also swell up and balloon, only this time, without a drop of oil.

whichever way you choose, these breads taste incredibly good. they remain extremely soft and are wonderful with all types of spicy dishes.

if you tried the other recipe i posted and enjoyed, i'm sure you'll love these too. i know i did.

sweet potato poori or phulka

the following sweet potato-based flatbreads can be made either lavishly, quickly fried in oil or everyday style, cooked on a hot griddle with no fat at all. most likely the occasion for which you make them will dictate. poori are usually 'special occasion breads' and i bet you can guess why! ;) whichever method you do choose, both will puff up and leave you with irresistable orange-hued and mildly spiced breads perfect for almost any indian type meal.

makes 8 - 10 breads

ingredients:

1 sweet potato (175 gr)
1 c atta (chappati) flour or 3/4 wholewheat + 1/4 all purpose
1/2 tsp salt, heaped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder, or more but don't overdo it
1/8 tsp asafetida powder*
1 tsp ground coriander powder
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

3 tbsp ghee or melted butter (more as needed)
2 - 4 tbsp water, or as needed

*if you can't get asafetida or don't want to use it, the closest approximation is garlic powder.

method:

cook the sweet potato in the microwave until soft or another way such as boiling, steaming or baking until it is soft. i find using the microwave much more convenient. if doing it that way, prick it several times all over and cook according to how your microwave works best for root vegetables.

once cooled enough to handle (it must be warm), peel off the skin and mash it. you need 200 ml or about 3/4 c, mashed.

place dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

add the mashed sweet potato and chopped coriander.

mix the wet ingredients into the dry with your hands until it is well crumbled. it will smell incredibly good at this point!

add the ghee or melted butter and mix with your hands. add enough [ghee or butter] to make a rough ball of dough. (the ghee was semi solid so that's why it looks this way below in the photo ....)

add water by tablespoons and knead the dough to make a firm but smooth dough. it will soften more upon resting. knead for about 5 minutes noting that the dough should not be so dry as to crack after kneading it. if needed, add an extra tablespoon or two of water.

let rest for 1 to 3 hours, well covered in a bowl. you can wet a paper towel and squeeze it out and then place it over the dough to give extra moisture before covering the bowl.

once rested, cut 8 to 10 small balls of dough and roll them out with extra flour to about 5 inches rounds.


if making poori:

heat about 2 1/2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat in a cooking vessel at least 8 inches wide, such as a wok or indian karai. you could also use a dutch oven type pan.

roll out all the pooris and keep covered until ready to cook.

once the oil is ready, slip a disc of dough into the hot oil carefully. do not let it double over.

place a metal spoon over the bread and keep it submerged as the oil bubbles up around it. this will help it inflate. this will take about 20 to 40 seconds if your heat is right. if the oil is too hot and it browns, you must lower your heat.

tap the bread slightly until it balloons up. as it is doing this baste the uncooked topside with oil. quickly and carefully, flip the bread over on the other side and cook very briefly. it will lightly brown.

if you have any tears or rips, the poori will fill with oil. this whole process may take some practice if you've never made these before.

once cooked on both sides, remove carefully and drain on paper towels.

wrap the finished poori in either a tea towel or place in a pyrex and cover with foil until serving them.


if making phulkas:

this is an easier method and involves no oil. it is the same way one makes everyday phulka (chappati, puffed up over a flame or electric element).

you need two burners for this: the first with the pan and the second for puffing up the bread. if using an electric stove, turn the heat on maximum heat so it will be ready. the whole process goes quickly, once you start.

heat your cast iron pan over medium heat until it is hot. place the round of dough down and let it cook until you see the first signs: bubbling, lightening of colour on top surface and brown spots on bottom side.

once you see brown spots on the bottom of the bread, flip it over and wait until it gets a few brown spots on that side.

if you have a gas stove, place it directly on the grate and turn the flame on high; it will immediately puff up. flip it for a second and then place in a tea towel, covered. stack them on top of each other as they are made and close up the towel.

if using an electric coil, you need to either have a small cookie, coiled cooling-type, sheet ready or make a sort of contraption with a wire coat hanger (push the middle in and make a "U" shape — weird, yes, but it works :o).

place the phulka on the wire holder or cookie sheet and then place almost directly on the heating element at maximum. it should immediately puff up. flip over and cook a few seconds again. as they are taken off the heat, they will deflate. the steam created inside finishes the cooking of the breads.

if you've rolled them out properly, they should puff up successfully. like all things, practice makes perfect.

stack them on top of each other covered, as you make them.

enjoy!

post script: this post was really meant for wednesday but i'm adding it early .... see you sometime next week, i'll be gone for a bit.