Roti

Roti is one of the simplest flat breads you can make; being unleavened means less wait time to actually make it, and is the perfect food item for dips, sauces, stews, and curries! There are many styles of roti: Plain roti, Whole wheat roti, Sada roti, Buss up Shut roti and dosti roti to name a few. The image below are examples of buss up shut roti and whole wheat roti.

Plain / Whole wheat roti

Ingredients and Equipment

You will need a pan - ideally cast iron or carbon steel, but a large skillet will work. Traditionally you would use a Tawa, so if you have one great, if not no worries. As well as a bowl for mixing, rolling pin, and a butter knife or utensil to flip the roti.

• All Purpose Flour (1 cup)
• Oil (1 tbsp)
• Salt (1/8 tsp)
• Water (½ cup)

You will need extra oil, butter, ghee for brushing over the rotis. This keeps them soft, and prevents them from drying out.

Substitutions

• Flour could be 1:1 whole wheat and all purpose flour, or roti flour
• Traditionally ghee is used instead of oil or butter for the finish

Method

This roti recipe make about 2-4 rotis, but that depends on the size of roti desired.

Mixing

In a large bowl,

• Mix all of the dry ingredients well
• Slowly add small amounts of luke warm water and mix thoroughly (You should get a shaggy dough)
• Add the oil
• Knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes, and form into a ball (smooth and soft)
• Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes

Rolling

• Divide the dough into equal portions (2-4 portions)
• Flour a surface and roll out each portion into a circular shape
• Try to keep them as thin as possible, about 2 mm

Cooking

Heat the skillet to medium to medium-high heat, depending on the type of skillet.

• Once hot, lower the heat to medium-low
• Optionally place a tiny amount of oil, coat the bottom
• Place one of the uncooked rotis on the skillet for 15-30 seconds (should be still white with barely any tiny brown spots)
• Flip once for 30-45 seconds, brush with oil/ghee
• A final flip for 30-45 seconds, brush with oil/ghee
• Cover with a towel, and repeat for each uncooked rotis
  • Wipe the pan and optionally add a tiny amount of new oil and coat

Do not rely on the time, but appearance of the roti. Ensure that it cooks as desired before flipping. You want some of those brown before slightly burnt spots.

You should see the roti puff in spots on the 2nd and 3rd flip. It is ideal if the roti puffs into 1 ball shape, this has to do with kneading, and rolling. If you have a gas stove you can put the roti near of the pan close to the burner and it should puff up completely, but not necessary

fin.

Sada roti

Same as Plain / Whole wheat roti, but you add 1 tsp of Baking powder per cup of flour. The difference here is the roti will be thick and dense, like a naan. This recipe makes 1-2, if using the above ratios.

Ingredients

• Same as Plain roti
• Baking powder (1 tsp / cup of flour)

Method

• Same as Plain roti

fin.

Buss up shut (Paratha) roti

This is used for special occasions and is a soft roti with many layers that looks like a “busted up shirt” (Buss up shut!). It can be made by adding a leavening agent to the flour like a Sada roti but the preparation different. This recipe makes 1-2 rotis depending on the size of your pan, for a standard 10-12” skillet make 2 rotis.

Equipment

• Large plastic tupperware container
• Large cloth towel

Ingredients

• Same as Sada roti
• Extra Ghee or oil

Method

Mixing and dough prep

• Prepare the dough as before
• Let rest for 10 minutes
• Cut into portions
• Roll out to a 4-6 mm thick cicle
• Apply a thin layer of ghee or oil (optionally sprinkle a few dots of flour on the surface)
• Cut from the center to the edge
• Roll tightly into a cone, pull the extra edge to the wide part and tuck in hiding layers
• Poke in cone tip to hide seams
• Repeat for each portion
  • For one cup of flour you should have 1-2 balls shaped

Cooking

This part is where having two people may help, or just don't rush. As after you cook the roti, you need to damage it. Traditionally you beat it with sticks, but your neighbours may find that odd if you live in a urban area outside of the caribbean.

Some people clap the rotis, or within a cloth clap it hard to separate the layers. I found a way to not burn your hands. I use a large plastic tupperware container, folding the roti and shaking very vigoursly.

• Cook the roti as above, but you want to go on medium-low or lower
  • We want minimal brown marks on the roti.
• Flipping the roti will still puff up as before
• At the end I take a fish spatula and push into the roti making line marks horizontally and vertically
  • I do not break the surface of the roti
• Damage the roti to separate the soft layers
  1. Clap the roti, or put in a cloth and clap it
  2. Tupperware container method
     • Fold the roti in half
     • Put in a large plastic tupperware container and shake it vigourously
• Store in a container covered with a towel to steam

fin.

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