Homemade Coconut Rotti -Srilanka

Pol roti is the everyday flatbread of Sri Lanka, a hearty, coconut-flecked round cooked in a dry pan and torn warm to scoop up curry.

What makes it special is all that shredded coconut worked right into the dough. It keeps the roti tender and moist inside while lending a nutty, faintly sweet flavor that plays against the heat of fresh chili and chili powder. Curry leaves add the unmistakable aroma of a Sri Lankan kitchen.

There’s no yeast and no long proofing here. Mix the dough soft but not sticky, let it rest 15 minutes so the flour hydrates, then flatten and fry. That short rest makes the dough easier to shape and less likely to crack at the edges.

Cook it on a lightly greased pan, turning until both sides are speckled golden brown. Serve hot, when it’s at its softest and most fragrant, alongside a fish or chicken curry.

Kitchen Tips

• Add water gradually until the dough is soft but not sticky; too dry and the roti cracks, too wet and it won’t hold its shape.
• Let the dough rest 15 minutes so the flour fully hydrates and shapes more easily.
• Keep the pan only lightly greased and the heat moderate so the roti cooks through before the outside burns.
• Dial the chili up or down to taste; this bread is meant to carry some heat.

Variations

• Stir in finely chopped onion for a classic savory pol roti.
• Swap the curry leaves for coriander, as the recipe suggests, if they’re hard to find.
• Leave out the fresh chili and ease back the chili powder for a milder roti.