Recipe for Trinidadian Roti with Potato Curry filling

Variations on roti are popular throughout the Caribbean and parts of South America, including Guyana and Jamaica. The curry filling can be a potato vegetable curry (like the following recipe which is one of my favorites), or it can be a meat curry, such as goat, beef or chicken with vegetables.

POTATO CURRY

(total preparation time - approximately 1/2 hour plus time to wash/chop vegetables)

Ingredients:

1/4 sunflower oil
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 ground ginger

Note:
Instead of the above spices, you can use the following:

4 tsp curry powder
1 small onion, cut into small pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 medium sized potatoes, washed, peeled, and chopped into 1/4" cubes
salt to taste

Additional ingredients
(optional-depending on personal taste and what is available in the kitchen):
I like to add some or most of the following ingredients (if I have them)

up to 1 cup chick peas

up to 1 cup sweet potato, nigerian yam, or plantain (if adding these, then use less potatoes from above)

up to 1 cup of red, yellow, or green pepper (cut into small pieces)

up to 1/2 cup broccoli or cauliflower (chopped small)

up to 1.2 cup sliced bok choy or cabbage

1/2 cup to 1 cup of water

Procedure:

Heat the spices in the oil on medium heat, in either a sturdy, deep frying pan, or a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook stiring for 5 minutes, careful not to burn spices. Then add onion and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring. You may have to turn down the heat a little bit so that the garlic doesn't burn. Then add the potatoes and fry them up for 1-2 minutes, stirring. This is also the time to add any of the following items: chick peas, sweet potato, nigerian yam, plantain, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, or cabbage. Add the water wo that it covers the bottom to at least 1/4" of liquid, (but not more than 1/2") Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes on medium low heat (the mixture should gently bubble). Taste for salt and be sure that potatoes are soft. Add a little more water if necessary.

Serve on rice or scooped onto "roti" bread like a fat crepe.

ROTI bread

(preparation time-approximately 1 and 1/2 hours)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
dash baking soda
milk (1 to 4 tablespoons, depending on humidity
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt to taste
(optional-use combination of flour and ground chick peas) corn meal, bread crumbs, ground chick peas, or flour (for cutting board)
Also-rolling pin + cutting board or similar surface

Procedure:

In a big bowl, mix flour, and baking soda (and salt if you want any) (Mix with your hands/fingers) Add 1 tablespoon milk and work the mixture with your hands, trying to make a big ball. Once you have the dough in a ball, stop adding milk.

Make the dough into 3 balls and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Put the oil in a in a bowl (so that you can get to it with your fingers. Roll out the dough on a board covered with bread crumbs or cornmeal or ground chick peas or flour. Each ball chould make a circle 8" wide. Don't worry if it's too hard to roll out at this stage; the dough may be tough. Brush a thin layer of oil over the top surface of the circle and then scrunch it back up into a ball. Do this for all 3 balls, then let them sit for 1/2 hour to rest. The roll them out and oil them again. This time it should be easier, but they may be a little more sticky, so make sure your board and rolling pin are well floured. Now warm a frying pan with a thick, even bottom to medium heat, no oil (there is already oil on the roti). Put one of the roti circles in and cook for about a minute. Turn it and when the hot surface cools a little, wipe it with oil. When there are some golden spots, the bread is done. Keep it between 2 plates or under a cloth to keep it soft and warm. Dump the potato curry mixture on top of the skin and fold the skin around it. You can eat it with your hands, or if it is too messy, silverware.

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