There is nothing like a warm, buttery, soft flour tortilla to accompany a plate of rice and beans or be the vehicle for a great taco. This is an amazing gluten free option made with cassava flour and tastes even better than a regular one.
What is Cassava?
Cassava root provides a great alternative to traditional all purpose flour. Cassava is a root vegetable that is widely used in similar ways to potatoes or turnips. The cassava is ground into a fine flour and is a wonderful base in doughs and batters. Cassava has a fairly neutral flavor which makes it great for tortillas.
The salty, slightly tart, buttery taste comes from the olive oil in the recipe. If you are able, definitely use a high quality olive oil to really capitalize on the flavor. Cassava has a nice nutty flavor, not at all as regular tastless flour. This makes the tortillas even more delicious.
Helpful tips
While the dough is coming together it may seem to dry or too sticky at first. The key to a pliable dough is kneading. You must knead the dough thoroughly for a few minutes to get elasticity in the final result. The warm water also helps to keep the dough loose, and prevents it from drying out so quickly. Another tip to avoid dry dough is to keep the dough covered with a kitchen towel while rolling out the tortillas. Dry tortilla dough will be difficult to roll out and will also result in a very brittle end result.
How to Cook
Traditionally in Central American or South American cooking, flour tortillas are cooked on a very hot pan called a comal. A nonstick fry pan achieves a very similar result. Cooking tortillas is very much a visual art. Depending on the thickness, tortillas may vary slightly in cooking time. While cooking the tortilla on one side you will see tiny air bubbles which indicate the first side is cooked. After flipping, rotate the tortilla with a spatula to ensure the entire surface makes even contact with the heat. The end result is a perfectly cooked, tasty tortilla ready to add its own flair to a perfect meal!
Also, you can use these tortillas to make our Homemade Tortilla Chips recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) Cassava flour*
- ⅓ tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup (100ml) warm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk Cassava flour and salt.
- Add the oil and warm water, at first mix with a spoon, then knead with your hands until the soft dough forms.
- Divide into 8 dough balls.
- Roll each dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper until thin or use a tortilla press.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Once properly heated, place the tortilla on the skillet.
- Wait for the air bubbles to form (approx. 1 minute) and then flip and cook for 1 more minute.
- Place on a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep tortillas soft and prevent them from drying too much while cooling.
Notes
* I like the Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour to work the best in this recipe, but you can test other brands too
