Roti is a traditional bread in Pakistan and India, normally eaten with curries or cooked vegetables, it can be called a carrier for curries or cooked vegetables. It is made most often from wheat flour, cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tawa. It is similar to a tortilla in appearance. Like breads around the world, roti is a staple accompaniment to other foods, maybe spread with ghee (clarified butter).
Blended Roti
Whole Wheat can be blended with other flours to make highly nutritious rotis. Below is the ratio in which one of the best recommended nutritious blended flours is mixed:[citation needed]
* Whole Wheat Flour - 70% * Barley Flour - 15% * De-fatted Soybean Flour - 10% * Black Chickpea Flour - 5%
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand
In Indonesia and Malaysia, the term encompasses all forms of bread including western-style bread as well as the traditional Punjabi breads.
In Thailand, "roti" refers to the maida paratha—known in Malaysia as roti canai and in Singapore as roti prata—which is typically drizzled with condensed milk, rolled up, and eaten as a hot snack.
West Indies
Roti also features prominently in the diet of many West Indian countries, especially Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. West Indian roti are primarily made from wheat flour, baking powder,salt, and water and cooked on a tava. Certain rotis are also made with butter. There are several types of roti made in the West Indies.
Trinidad and Leeward Islands
* Sada Roti: This is a plain roti, made of white flour. Because it is the simplest roti to make, it is the most commonly consumed roti in Trinidad. It is a popular breakfast option in Trinidad, in combination with tomato choka, baigan choka (eggplant), and other vegetable dishes.
* Paratha Roti: A roti made with butter, usually ghee (a form of melted butter). It is cooked on a tava(a pan used in Indian cooking). Ghee is rubbed on both sides, then it is fried. This gives the roti a crisp outside. When it almost finished cooking, the cook begins to beat the roti while it is on the tawa, causing it to crumble. It is also called 'Buss-Up-Shut' in Trinidad.
* Dosti Roti: A roti where two layers are rolled out together and cooked on the tava. It is also rubbed with oil while cooking. It is called dosti roti because the word dosti means friendship in Hindi. This type of roti is eaten in Guyana with a special halva when a child is born.
* Dhalpuri: A roti with a stuffing of ground yellow split peas, cumin (geera), garlic, and pepper. The split peas are boiled until they are al dente and then ground in a mill. The cumin is toasted until black and also ground. The stuffing is pushed into the roti dough, and sealed. When rolled flat, the filling is distributed within the roti. It is cooked on the tava and rubbed with oil for ease of cooking. This is the most popular roti.
* Wrap Roti: A popular sandwich made by folding a curry stew inside of a Dhalpuri roti skin. Curry stew normally contains potatoes and a meat of some sort like chicken, goat, beef or shrimp. The wrap roti was developed in South Trinidad by Sakina Karamath, founder of Hummingbird Roti Shop.
* Piper Roti: A wrap roti that usually contains only potatoes and gravy, no meat. Piper roti got it's name by being given out for free to vagrants by roti shop owners. The piper roti was developed in South Trinidad by Sakina Karamath, founder of Hummingbird Roti Shop.
* Aloopuri: A roti similar to a Dhalpuri but with aloo (potato) substituted for the dhal. The aloo is boiled, milled and spices and seasonings are added before being sealed in the dough. This aloo filling is also used when making aloo pie or aloo choka.
* Fry Bake: Similar to making a Sada roti. After the dough is rolled, instead of cooking in on the tava as you would with the sada roti, the rolled dough is cut into 4 quarters and each piece is deep fried unitl golden. The dough usually rises in the oil so the finished product can be cut open and filled with various fillings before consumed. Fry Bake by definition can be considered a "puri", as compared to a "Dhal puri" which in reality is a type of roti.
* Bake: Made with butter, coconut milk and grated coconut meat. Sometimes referred to as "Creole Bake". The finished dough is placed in a round cake pan and baked until done.
Guyana
Depending on where Indians settled in Guyana, foods can be different. In some parts of Guyana, Dosti Roti is made. Indo-Guyanese food as a whole can be different from their Trinidadian brothers, including the names of many items.
* A small amount of fat is placed in each piece of dough before it is rolled out to make the roti softer. Usually Vegetable oil is used, but butter, or margarine can also be used. Ghee is not used in everyday Guyanese cooking, and is only used by the Hindus on religious occasions. The Roti is usually clapped by hand or beaten a bit, hot off the tava, so it softens but does not break.
* A good roti in Guyana is one that is very soft, with layers (almost like pastry layers if possible), which remains whole.
* Depending what is placed in the dough before it is rolled out, that is the type of roti one gets. Various types include Dhalpuri, potato roti, and even sugar(to keep the kids busy, while the mother finishes cooking).
* Among the Indo-Guyanese, a rolled out dough that is deep fried in ghee is called a puri, and is only made for Hindu religious gatherings. Therefore a Dalpuri is not really a puri, as a puri and a roti are two different things.
* Bake: Another item prepared like roti is bake or bakes or floats. Dough is rolled out and cut into shapes or rolled into small rounds. Guyanese bakes or floats are fried, but bakes from other parts of the West Indies can can be baked in an oven. They are sometimes called frybake. Bake are usually paired with a fryup for breakfast or dinner, or with stewed saltfish. Bakes is also made in other parts of the West Indies including Trinidad, Barbados and St. Vincent.
Not a wholemeal flour like atta, this flour is creamy in colour and slightly granular in texture. Ideal for all unleavened breads. You can find it in Western delicatessens labelled 'continental flour' or at Asian grocery stores as roti flour or 'sharps', the grade to which it is milled.
How to make Roti:
Ingredients
300g roti flour, white, brown or wholemeal, plus extra for dusting Butter, for shallow-frying
Method 1. Place the flour in a large, shallow mixing bowl. Gradually add in just enough water to form a dough, using your hands to bind the flour together.
2. Wash your hands, then place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough thoroughly using your knuckles, folding dough in and turning over repeatedly.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. To make the roti, fill a large shallow dish with roti flour and place it on the worktop together with a rolling pin, a plate, a pair of tongs, the butter and a teaspoon.
5. Gently heat a thawa or griddle pan or heavy-based frying pan.
6. Take the dough and divide it into 6 even-sized portions, each the size of a small satsuma.
7. Dust the worktop lightly with roti flour. Take a portion of the dough and roll into an even ball in your hands. Place the ball on the work surface and flatten with your fingers. Cup your hands and use the edges of your hands (your little finger side) to make the disc perfectly round. Flatten again with your fingers.
8. Using the rolling pin, gently roll out the roti to form a flat round. Turn over and roll the other side.
9. Lay the roti in the dish of flour to coat it on both sides. Shake off excess flour and lay the roti on the worktop again.
10. Roll out, using a circular motion to increase the size of the roti, and then turn over and roll the other side. Continue this process until you have an even and round roti the size of a saucer, but not too thin.
11. Gently pick up the roti and gently toss from palm to palm in a pat-a-cake action, rotating the roti to shake off excess flour and even out the size.
12. Slap the roti flat on to the centre of the thawa, griddle or frying pan. After 4 seconds, when you see the roti becoming slightly brown, turn over with the tongs.
13. When small bubbles begin to appear, about 6 seconds, pick up the roti with tongs with one hand whilst picking up the thawa, griddle or frying pan away from the heat with the other.
14. Place the roti, same-side down, straight on to the gas ring, moving around slightly with the tongs. The roti should completely puff up. Turn over immediately for 2 seconds and then return the thawa, griddle or frying pan to the ring.
15. Place the roti, most-cooked-side upwards, on a plate and spread with a little butter using the teaspoon.
16. Set aside to keep warm, while you repeat the process with the remaining balls of dough.
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