Paleo/Whole30 Gluten-Free & Vegan Cassava Tortillas
This recipe gives you an alternative to masa or wheat flour based tortillas, which you cannot have on Whole30 or Paleo. I have IBS, and should be living a grain-free life, but masa and rice hold me tight. I am now here to say with immense happiness, cassava tortillas may be a new favorite. They can be pressed like masa or rolled out like flour tortillas. They're easy, delicious, and share the qualities of both types of tortillas equally. They have that flexible durability of flour tortillas, while having the chewy snap of masa... I cannot stress how much I love these. The added bonus is how cheap they are to make compared to paying $10 for 8 tortillas at the grocery store. By making these yourself, you're cutting that cost by more than half.
Chef's Notes:
Knead each cassava dough portion in your hand before pressing, or rolling. This will redistribute the hydration and result in less cracking.
When cooking the tortillas, cast iron works best. You will need a SMOKING hot pan to cook the tortillas.
Lightly oil the pan if you are NOT using cast iron, or non-stick.
These can be made ahead of time, and even stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Microwave the tortillas to reheat, I like to wrap in a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. You can also flash the tortillas directly over the gas flame to reheat, more char is always great but will be a littler drier!
Cassava Tortillas
Yield: 7-8 tortillas ( I prefer 7)
1-1/2 cups cassava root flour
1/2 teaspoon psyllium husk powder, or flax seed meal
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil, or oil of choice
1-1/4 cup hot water
Add dry ingredients into a bowl, and stir to combine
Pour in the oil and hot water, mix until incorporated.
Knead slightly until smooth and no dry ingredients remain.
Portion the dough into 7-8 balls, cover the dough in a damp cloth to prevent the surface from drying out.
Working with one portion at a time, press in a tortilla press between plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Or, roll a portion of dough in your hands until smooth and press into hockey puck. Stick the puck between plastic wrap, parchment paper or wax paper and roll to you desired thickness. I prefer plastic wrap for visibility purposes, I want a perfect circle.
Press or roll out all portions of dough, keeping each tortilla covered to prevent drying. I keep mine between their plastic wrap sleeves. If there is more than one person in the kitchen, one can press/roll as one cooks to speed up the process.
Preheat the cast iron pan, or whatever you have, over medium high heat. Once the pan begins to smoke, add in the tortilla. Cook for 30-60 seconds, or once char marks are noticed.
Flip the tortilla, and cook for another 30-60 seconds, until char marks are noticed. If rolled thin enough, your tortilla will puff like a pita!
Place onto a plate and cover with a towel.
Repeat steps 7-9 until all dough portions are gone.
This recipe is incredibly easy, and fun to make with your friends, partner or kids! It's a fresh take on tortillas, without harming your body with grains. As per normal, please tag me if you use this recipe! I love seeing the photos, and hearing feedback! You can find me on Instagram and Facebook, @cheekygingerchef.
Thank you and keep it cheeky!
-Mason