These vegan and gluten-free wraps are bursting with vibrant and earthy flavors, and I know you'll love them! They're inspired by the sumptuous flavors of West African cuisine. There's a tangy mango yassa sauce, with the traditional Senegalese blend of onion, mustard, and lemon, infused with the sweetness of mango. Also within the flatbread wrap is the tiny, fluffy, and nutty West African grain fonio as a hearty base. And to round out the fillings with a delightful blend of textures and flavors, we have sweet potatoes, scallions, kale, and sweet red peppers. You'll love these Kale and Sweet Potato Fonio Wraps with Mango Yassa Sauce!
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💕Why this recipe is special
Two West-African-inspired components:
Mango yassa sauce: I was delighted to discover the traditional Senegalese yassa flavor blend of onions, lemon juice, and mustard. In West Africa, this blend is typically used in a braised meat dish. I wanted to explore a vegan take that's also bright and fresh. So I used the lemon and mustard along with fresh onions, herbs, a warm hug from chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and a tangy base of mango to create a mango yassa sauce that's bursting with flavor.
Fonio: The second nod to West Africa in these wraps is a very special grain called fonio. It's been cultivated in Africa for more than 5,000 years, and is now becoming known throughout the world. Much of this awareness and the availability of the grain itself is via the passionate efforts of the company Yolélé to promote regenerative food pathways and economic support for small farmholders.
Fonio is one of the smallest grains, and is rustic, nutty, and fluffy. Fonio is very unique in that it'll grow in harsh conditions like drought and poor soils. This is important ecologically in bringing biodiversity to otherwise barren land, and it helps to prevent erosion and desertification. It ripens quickly, and has been given the nickname "hungry rice."
Fonio is naturally gluten-free, full of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It also has a low glycemic index. It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, and it can be ground into flour. It's so quick and easy to prepare. And it nearly quadruples in volume when cooked. I hope you'll love tasting this very special grain as much as I do!
📓Ingredient notes
- Sweet potatoes: These are roasted until soft and caramelized. This is the perfect texture to complement the multitude of textures in the wraps.
- Salt and pepper: Add these to taste when roasting the sweet potatoes.
- Fonio: I'm so excited to have learned about this grain! It's so fluffy, comforting, and fast to cook.
- Oil: I've used peanut oil in this recipe, both to cook the fonio and to roast the sweet potatoes. Peanut oil is more authentic in West African cooking, but olive oil will work as well.
- Bouillon paste: I like to use veggie bouillon paste (I use the Better Than Bouillon brand) to give the fonio just a hint of savory flavor when adding to the wraps.
- Kale: This is not a green that I've found to be associated with traditional West African cooking, but it may be more accessible than a more authentic green such as amaranth. The fibrous texture of the kale in these wraps is softened by marinating it briefly in the mango yassa sauce to tenderize it. But it still retains some of its trademark crunch.
- Mango yassa sauce: Please find the mango yassa sauce recipe here to make ahead for the wraps. I'm so happy about the rave reviews that my tasters have given this sauce! It really adds a vibrant burst of flavor to the wraps from the lemon, mustard, onions, chili peppers, ginger, garlic, mango, and herbs.
- Flatbreads: Here I've used another option that's not authentic to West African traditions. It's my vegan and gluten-free recipe for easy, fluffy potato tortillas. They work really well texturally with the soft mild flavor of the mashed potato in the dough. Please feel free to use a more traditional flatbread here if you'd like.
- Sweet red peppers: These lend a delicious sweet and mild crunch to the wraps.
- Scallions: I really like the fresh green onion flavor and texture that these give to the wraps.
📒Step-by-step instructions
Toast the fonio with oil in a pot. Add water and veggie bouillon and cook for a fluffy and moist texture.
Fluff the cooked fonio with a fork and set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients.
Assemble the mango yassa sauce and chopped kale.
Mix together the sauce and kale, and set aside to allow the sauce to tenderize the kale while proceeding with the recipe.
Roast the sweet potatoes until browned and caramelized.
Add the ingredients to the flatbread wrap. Roll or fold the wrap over the filling. Enjoy!
💡Tips for success
- Make sure to have your mango yassa sauce and flatbreads prepared ahead before proceeding with the wrap recipe.
- If you like your kale extra crunchy, you can skip the step of marinating it in the sauce to tenderize it before adding it to the wraps.
- You can either roll these wraps up tightly or just fold them in half to enclose the filling. Do whichever way works best for you!
🍶Variations and substitutions
- Oil: If you have nut allergies, feel free to use any olive oil or another cooking oil of your choice in place of the peanut oil to cook the fonio and to roast the sweet potatoes.
- Greens: You can try other greens in place of kale in this recipe if you'd like. If you have access to fresh amaranth, this would be more authentic in a West African dish. Or experiment with lettuce, spinach, collards, or other greens.
- Fonio: You can use couscous, bulgur, or quinoa in place of the fonio if you'd like.
- Mango yassa sauce: If you don't have time to make this sauce, use your favorite tangy homemade or store-bought dressing.
🥣Equipment
- Digital scale: for weighing the ingredients
- Large baking sheet: for roasting sweet potatoes
- Sheet of baking parchment: to make cleanup easier when roasting sweet potatoes
- Comal or skillet: for cooking your flatbreads
- Rolling pin or tortilla press: for rolling out your flatbreads
⏲Make ahead and storage
- Both the mango yassa sauce and the fluffy potato tortillas will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. This makes it easy to make them ahead.
- The cooked fonio will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Any leftover filled wraps should stay fresh for up to 2 or 3 days in the fridge. You may want to wrap then first in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and then optionally also place them in an airtight container.
❓Frequently asked questions
Fonio is available on Amazon, at Whole Foods, and possibly at other well-stocked grocery stores. I really like the Yolélé brand.
Our kid testers loved these wraps! If you're concerned about the spice level in the mango yassa sauce, use a mild pepper or a smaller quantity of the spicy ones to distribute a milder flavor throughout the sauce.
Some other vegetables that are traditionally used in West African cooking that would work well in these wraps would be sautéed or grilled okra, roasted or grilled eggplant, or roasted or fried plantains.
✨More herbs and recipes you'll love
Looking for other garden posts and recipes like this? Try these:
✏️Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments and reviews below!
Kale, Sweet Potato, and Fonio Wraps with Mango Yassa Sauce
Ingredients
For prepping the wraps:
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil or olive oil, for cooking the fonio
- 1 cup (200 g) uncooked fonio
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste
- 8 cups (150 g) kale, stems removed and finely chopped
- 2 ¼ cups (532 ml) mango yassa sauce, made ahead (1 full recipe)
- 12 7-8 inch or 18-20 cm easy fluffy potato tortillas or flatbreads of choice, made ahead
- 2 (500 g) sweet red peppers, thinly sliced into strips
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
For roasting the sweet potatoes:
- 2 large (600 g) sweet potatoes, about 2 large, peeled and cut into ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick strips
- 1 tablespoon peanut or olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the Fonio:
- In a pot over medium low heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Add the fonio, and stir to coat the grains until toasted, about a minute or two.
- Add the water and bouillon paste and bring to a boil. Cover, and turn the heat to low.
- After 1 minute, remove from the heat and let the pot sit for 5 minutes. Fluff the fonio with a fork.
Marinate the Kale with the Mango Yassa Sauce:
- Place the kale in a mixing bowl. Stir in the mango yassa sauce until the leaves are evenly coated.
- Meanwhile, proceed with roasting the sweet potatoes while the acids in the sauce soften the texture of the kale.
Roast the Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Coat the sweet potato strips with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out on a large baking sheet in a single layer on a sheet of baking parchment (optional).
- Roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
Fill the Wraps:
- Lay out a tortilla and add a base layer of cooked fonio.
- Then add some roasted sweet potato strips, marinated kale, thinly sliced sweet red pepper strips, and a generous sprinkle of chopped scallions. You can vary the amount of each ingredient based on personal preference.
- Roll the tortillas tightly into wraps, tucking in the sides as you go. Or just fold them in half over the filling and eat them this way. Go with whichever works best for you!
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