Roti Dough

Roti dough the Caribbean way, the soft, pliable flatbread used for wrapping curried chickpeas, goat, or chicken in Trinidadian and Guyanese cooking. The technique here, with the rest, the oil-spread, and the post-cook palm-pounding, is what produces the supple, flexible texture that distinguishes a real roti from a stiff chapati.

The two-step roll is essential. Roll the dough thin, brush with oil, ball it back up, rest, and roll again. That oiled fold creates layers (think of a much-simplified croissant) that puff slightly during cooking and give the finished roti its characteristic flexibility. Skip the rest and the dough fights you on the second roll.

The palm-pound at the end might sound unusual but it’s traditional and it works. Slapping the hot roti between your palms cracks the surface slightly and softens the bread so it bends without tearing. This is the difference between a roti you can wrap around curry and one that splits and leaks.

Pro Tips

• Use milk (not water) for a softer, more tender roti.
• The pan must be hot enough that water sizzles on contact; a cool pan steams the dough into a tough flat thing.
• Brush oil on the second side as it cooks for golden brown spots and supple texture.
• Stack finished rotis under a clean towel to keep them warm and pliable.

Variations

• Add 2 tablespoons of ghee instead of vegetable oil for deeper flavor.
• Use whole wheat for half the flour for a more North Indian style.
• Stuff with mashed cooked yellow split peas before the second roll for traditional dhalpuri.