Following closely on the heels of our Colorful Veggie Tacos recipe, I decided to publish a tortilla recipe. I used to get confused between tacos and tortillas, but years of eating delicious Mexican food has helped clear that mix-up. For those that are still unsure, tortilla is the shell or the base and taco is the final product with all the fillings and toppings. To expand further on this, a burrito is a larger tortilla that is typically stuffed with rice, beans and meat or veggies.
Roti vs. Tortilla
Having grown up with roti, I can’t help comparing roti and tortilla. They are similar, yet different. You never top a roti like you do a tortilla. Instead, you enjoy rotis with a dal or curry on the side. Tortillas on the other hand, transform into tacos of a million varieties. I think of them as an open canvas on which you can paint whatever you want! Add beans, veggies, cheese, fish, meat, salsa, cream, or anything you fancy! I enjoy both rotis and tacos. Incidentally, today is one of those interesting days (very rare), when I had tacos for lunch and rotis for dinner!
Tortilla Flour
Corn Flour and all purpose flour are usually the popular ingredients in tortillas. Wheat and multigrain flour are also used for tortillas. As you’re probably aware, corn tortillas are gluten free but not grain free. So if you happen to be on a Whole30, Keto or Paleo diet, none of these will work for you.
Gluten & Grain Free Tortilla Flour
Despite the fact that you might be on one of these diets or just allergic to gluten, you probably still crave for tacos. It is unfortunate that so many folks have gluten sensitivities, my wife being one of them. She also went on a Whole30 diet, which excludes any type of grain and dairy. She got tired of not being able to eat tacos (which she really loves), and decided to try out alternatives. After doing her research, she decided on cassava flour. I must say it was a great choice – cassava flour tortillas taste so good!
Cassava Flour
Cassava flour is made from the root of cassava plant, also known as yuca (don’t mistake this for yucca, which is an ornamental plant). The root is peeled, dried and ground into flour. Also, tapioca flour is made from the root, just the starch and not the whole vegetable. When we first started using cassava flour, it was a bit of a hit or miss. Cassava flour is somewhat like Play-Doh. It doesn’t stay together since it doesn’t have gluten to bind it, so it needs a little getting used to. It is necessary to use parchment paper for this reason. Initially, we’d get all sorts of shapes (not round tortillas) but we were not bothered with that. They tasted great and that was all that mattered!
Cassava is a root vegetable that is a decent source of vitamin C. It has a good measure of manganese, phosphorus, calcium, iron and potassium, in addition to a small amount of protein. Most importantly, the flour is gluten and grain free, and is great for anyone with gluten allergies, or on diets like keto, paleo or whole30.
Here are a few delightful Mexican recipes you can check out:
Here are some salsas and toppings you could try on our tortillas:
- Spicy, Sweet, Tangy, Tomato Chutney
- Raw Mango Fenugreek Salsa
- Cranberry Chutney with a South Indian Twist
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
- Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Chutney
- Ridge Gourd Chutney
- Coconut Tomato Chutney
- Tart Spicy Pickled Cauliflower
- Pickled Chili Peppers
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Make-At-Home Gluten & Grain Free Tortillas
Ingredients
For 6 Tacos
- 2/3 Cup Cassava - Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil - Organic
- 1/2 Cup Filtered water - Warm
Instructions
- Mix flour, oil and water. Knead into a dough using your fingers. Ensure the dough is neither dry nor sticky. Roll dough into even-sized balls. Place one ball at a time between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a tortilla.
- Peel parchment paper away on both sides of the tortilla, to prevent it from sticking.
- Place tortilla back on parchment paper and gently flip it on to a heated pan set on medium heat. Cook for 1 minute on each side.
- Store cooked tortillas in a folded cloth to keep them fresh and soft.
- Decide on what tacos you plan to have and make sure you have the ingredients prepped and ready.
- Set up a taco station with the prepped ingredients, salsa, cheese, chutney and so on.
- I had 3 different tacos: 1. Tomato chutney, beans, cucumber, tomato and radish 2. Beans, tomato, lettuce, pickled peppers, grated cheese 3. Tomato chutney, beans, cheese, cilantro. Guacamole is another great option.
Love this! Didn’t realize that it was so easy to make Tortillas at home.
It is easy! And the taste of cassava is quite nice. A great change from store bought tortillas.