Ceylonese Roti Recipes

CEYLONESE ROTI

Steps:

• Sift flour, salt and baking powder.
• Add coconut and mix well.
• Add water and knead to a soft dough.
• Cover with a damp cloth.
• Keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8 parts.
• Roll each into a ball.
• Roll out each ball into a round disc 5" in diameter and of 1/4" thickness.
• Sprinkle with a little flour, if needed.
• Heat griddle, lightly grease and cook one at a time over low heat until brown specks appear on both sides.
• Remove from griddle.
• Keep warm.
• Grease the griddle before each roti.
• Wrap in a piece of foil to keep until needed.
• Reheat with foil in oven.

CARIBBEAN TRINIDAD ROTI

Steps:

• Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Gradually add the oil and water while mixing and kneading the dough, Set the dough aside for 15 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized balls. Flatten each slightly and roll out into 8 inch squares.
• Fill the middle of each square with about 1/2 cup of filling mixture. Wrap the dough around the mixture to seal the filling inside.
• To cook the roti, place the butter in a skillet over high heat until it sizzles. Reduce the heat to medium and place the rotis in the pan.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the crust is light brown. Turn with a wide spatula and continue cooking. Repeat the process with the remaining rotis. Serve immediately.
• SWEET POTATO FILLING: Place the butter, garlic, and onion in a deep skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the potato, water, curry powder, hot sauce, and salt and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft but not mushy. Add the chickpeas and cook another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set the filling aside.
• CHICKEN FILLING: Place the butter, garlic, onion and pepper in a deep skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the curry powder, hot sauce, coriander, and salt and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and water and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

SOYA FLOUR ROTI

Steps:

• Sieve flour.
• Mix in salt and seeds.
• Slowly add boiling water mixing in with a fork to get a firm dough. If mixture is sticky add a bit more flour to make handling easier.
• Knead for one minute.
• Divide dough into 4 balls.
• Flatten each ball into a disc and roll with the aid of plenty of flour to a diameter of about 15cm.
• Heat a nonstick pan, tawa or griddle on medium high heat. Cook roti's on one side, when you notice small bubbles turn over and cook for one minute on the other side or until golden brown flecks appear. If the first side does not have the golden brown spots you can flip over and cook it for a further 30 seconds or so.
• Enjoy.

CHAPPATIS (ROTI)

Steps:

• Put flour and salt in a bowl.
• Add water a cup at a time, kneading.
• When kneading, make your hand into a fist and roll your knuckles into the dough, folding edges in continuously, working in all the flour.
• When all the flour is kneaded into a ball, poke lots of holes into the ball of dough.
• Pour a little oil into the dough and knead it inches.
• Add the rest of the oil (the dough will look very oily and that's the way it should be).
• Cover with a clean cloth and let sit for at least an hour.
• Roll the ball in a little bit of flour so it's not sticky.
• Divide the dough into about 15-20 balls depending on how big you want the chappatis to be.
• Flour the counter/board.
• Roll out each ball to about 6 inches in diameter.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Fold in three (like you fold a letter).
• Now it should almost look like a long tube.
• Take one end of that tube and fold it in to the centre and gently press it inches.
• Take the other end of the tube and fold it over the seam.
• Now you should have a little bundle of dough.
• (In other words, fold the dough into thirds one way, and then the other).
• Flour a plate and place the bundles on them.
• Roll each one out to about 6-8 inch diamete, flouring counter/board as needed.
• On a flat cast iron disc (available at Indian grocery stores) or on a big frying pan (cast iron is best), heat pan, and put chappati on it.
• When it starts looking a bit translucent, flip it over.
• Brush with melted butter, shuffling it around the pan quickly, then a quick flip over, a bit of melted butter (it should start puffing up into a pillow like shape).
• Once it has small golden brown dots on both sides, take it off an put into a serving dish (cover with a clean cloth as you keep preparing the rest).
• You will have to adjust the heat during the whole frying process.
• Clean off the pan with paper towels or a clean cloth in between frying each chappati.
• Don't turn the chappatis too much, just once or twice is enough.