Bolani for Eid – Flatbreads stuffed with veg

Working with The University of Sheffield

Season: AutumnSpringSummerWinter

It’s the end of Ramadan this week, heralding the festival of Eid al-Fitr to break the fast. We are excited to mark Eid with a mouth-watering recipe for bolani – Afghan-style stuffed flatbreads, using a leek, sweet potato and garlic from the box. Recipe by Dr Rupy Aujla (aka The Doctor’s Kitchen) for BBC Food.

Makes 4.

Ingredients

For the dough:

250g/9oz chapati flour (atta) or wholemeal flour

½ tsp salt

For the filling:

1 large sweet potato (approx 250g)

olive oil, for frying

1 large leek, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated

200g frozen spinach, defrosted

pinch chilli flakes (optional)

freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

200g/7oz Greek yoghurt or plant-based yoghurt

½ lemon, juice only

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ tsp ground coriander

pinch dried mint

Method

Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place a sheet of kitchen foil on the middle shelf.

Rub the sweet potato all over with half a tsp of of olive oil. Pierce the skin several times with a sharp knife and place directly onto the top shelf of the oven and bake for 1 hour.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, adding a splash of water if it’s a little thick. Season and set aside (the further in advance you do this, the better, for the flavours to develop).

Meanwhile, make the dough: tip the flour into a large bowl, stir in the salt and make a well in the middle. Gradually pour in 160-180ml water, mixing together to form a rough dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins, until you have a smooth, elastic ball of dough. Cover with an upturned bowl or a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 20 mins.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the leek and garlic gently for 5 mins until soft. Tip into a large bowl. Scoop the cooked sweet potato from its skin and put in the bowl with the spinach and a pinch of chilli flakes. Season to taste.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each into a thin round, roughly 20cm in diameter. Spoon a quarter of the sweet potato mixture onto one side of a piece dough, brush the edge with water and fold the opposite edge over to enclose the filling – it should be a semicircle.

Press the edges together to seal, making sure there’s no air trapped inside. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the bolani for 2 mins on each side, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the sauce for dipping.