Kūmara (Sweet Potato) chapatis are a beautiful meeting point between comfort food and everyday nourishment — soft, warm, and subtly sweet, yet grounded in the kind of whole‑food goodness that supports long‑term wellbeing. By folding mashed orange kūmara into the dough, you get a naturally tender flatbread with no need for oil, enriched with the colour, fibre, and micronutrients that make kūmara such a staple in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The result is a chapati that feels both familiar and elevated: pliable enough to wrap around crisp salad or roasted vegetables, sturdy enough to scoop up chilli beans or lentil casseroles, and flavourful enough to pair with curries, mango chutney, or a dollop of soy yoghurt.

From a health perspective, kūmara brings a lot to the table. Its natural sweetness comes from complex carbohydrates that release energy steadily, helping maintain balanced blood sugar throughout the day. The vibrant orange flesh is rich in beta‑carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that supports immune function, eye health, and skin vitality. Kūmara is also a great source of dietary fibre, which promotes digestive health and helps keep you feeling satisfied after meals — a win for anyone aiming to build more plant‑forward, nutrient‑dense plates. When combined with wholemeal flour, you get a flatbread that’s not only delicious but also packed with slow‑burning energy, essential minerals, and gut‑friendly fibre.

These chapatis fit seamlessly into a whole food plant‑based lifestyle: no oil, no refined ingredients, just simple, nourishing staples that come together in minutes. They’re versatile enough to serve at breakfast with avocado and greens, at lunch as a wrap, or at dinner alongside hearty stews and curries. Whether you’re feeding a family, prepping for the week, or adding a wholesome touch to your favourite meals, kūmara chapatis offer a comforting, nutrient‑rich option that celebrates the best of New Zealand produce.

Kumara (Sweet Potatoes) Chapatis

Penny Garrick

Kumara chapatis bring a soft, slightly sweet twist to the classic flatbread, thanks to mashed orange kūmara worked into the dough. They’re tender, flexible, and beautifully hearty — perfect for scooping up chilli beans, pairing with a fragrant curry, or layering with crisp salad for a quick wrap. Their subtle sweetness also balances rich, savoury dishes like lentil casseroles, making them a versatile staple for any whole food plant‑based meal.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 lrg kumara (sweet potato)
• 2 cups wholegrain spelt flour
• 2 cups wholegrain rye flour
• 2 tbsp whole cumin seeds Can substite cumin seeds for a spice or dried herb you prefer.
• ground pepper

Instructions

 

• Pressure cook kumara on a trivet with a cup or so of water or roast in an oven dish with a little water and covered in foil.

  Either method takes about 1 hour plus cooling time to de-pressurize the Pressure Cooker.
• Process whole kumara (sweet potato till very smooth.
• Dry fry the cumin seeds until just smoking and fragrant (if you are substituting dried herbs, don’t dry fry them).
• Sift flour into a large bowl, add everything else and mix to a soft dough. You might need to add additional flour if it is too moist.
• Divide into segments, this amount made 16.
• Flatten into chapati shape. Dry fry on both sides, I used two pans at once to make it quicker.
• Cover with a slightly damp tea towel and keep warm in oven as you cook the rest.

Keyword plant-based, Roti, vegan, wfpb, whole-food

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