Chickpea and Roasted Yam Wrap with Tahini Sauce

From Cafe Flora

A definite keeper. Roasted the yams, cooked the chickpeas, made the Tahini Sauce and the Sweet Chili Sauce days ahead of time. I put the chickpea-yam mixture on all the tortillas but then had all the veggies and cheese set out on the table so people could put what they wanted on it. Made the final preparation pretty quick.

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (which I couldn't find)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup dried chickpeas (cooked in the usual dried-bean fashion), or 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas

2 bay leaves

1 large (12- to 14-oz) yam, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 Tblsp olive oil

1 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

salt

1 Tbsp tamari

1 Tbsp mirin (couldn't find this either)

4 (12-inch or wrapsize) spinach or sun-dried tomato flour tortillas

1/2 cup Tahini Sauce (recipe follows)

2 cups mixed salad greens, or chopped romaine lettuce

Additional chopped raw vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, green bell peppers)

feta cheese (optional but I'd recommend it)

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

GET READY. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toast the fenugreek and cumin seeds together in a hot skillet until fragrant, stirring a few times.

COOK THE CHICKPEAS. If you're using dried chickpeas, drain them, and put them in a pot along with the bay leaves, cumin seed, and fenugreek. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the chickpeas are very tender, about 1 hour.

If you're using canned chickpeas, rinse them under cold water, and drain well. Add the toasted cumin, fenugreek seeds, bay leaves, and two cups of water. Simmer for 20 minutes to infuse the canned chickpeas with flavor.

PREPARE THE YAM. Spread the yam pieces on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to accommodate them in a single layer without crowding. (If you crowd the pieces, you will steam rather than roast them.) Roast until the yam is very tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Set aside.

DRAIN THE CHICKPEAS. Discard the bay leaves (if you're using them). Drain the chickpeas in a mesh strainer (keeping the cumin and fenugreek seed with the chickpeas), reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

MASH THE CHICKPEAS. Put the cooked chickpeas, tamari, mirin, and 2 Tbsp of cooking liquid in a food processor. Pulse several times until the chickpeas are coarsely broken, and the mixture holds together slightly in a crumbly mash. If the mixture doesn't hold together, add 1 Tbsp of cooking liquid or water at a time until it does.

ADD THE YAM TO THE CHICKPEAS. Gently fold the roasted yam into the chickpeas; you don't want to turn the yam to mush. Add salt to taste.

WARM A TORTILLA in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 seconds. Flip it over, and warm the other side for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat for the remaining tortillas as you build the wraps.

BUILD THE WRAP. Lay the tortilla flat on a work surface, and spread with 2 Tbsp of Tahini Sauce, leaving a 2-inch border all around.

Put 2/3 cup of the chickpea-yammixture in the center of the wrap, and spread it over the sauce. (If you're planning to add a lot of chopped vegetables, cut this mixture back so you can still roll the wrap.)

Top this with 1/2 cup salad greens, spreading them to cover the chickpea-yam mixture. (If you're adding veggie chunks, this would be the time to do it).

ROLL THE WRAP. Fold the sides of the wrap in towards the filling. Roll the tortilla starting with the end closest to you, keeping the sides folded in. Build the 3 remaining tortillas, and roll them as described here.

SERVE THE WRAPS. Using a very sharp knife, cut each wrap in half at an angle. Serve the Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce in 4 small bowls for dipping.

TAHINI SAUCE

You can make this up to several days ahead of time.

1/2 cup tahini

1 tsp tamari

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp rice vinegar

1/2 cup water

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. If it's too thick, just dribble in more water until you get the consistency you want.

SWEET CHILI DIPPING SAUCE

Scott and the missionaries loved this. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 cups water

Combine all the ingredients in a small pan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool completely.