Roti recipe

The Surinamese roti sheet is a dhalpuri: a thin flatbread sealed around a dry, garlicky powder of ground yellow split peas.

1 hour and 50 minutesmedium8 ingredients

Ingredients

• 250 g yellow split peas
• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 clove garlic
• 280 ml water
• 2 tsp salt
• 60 ml vegetable oil

How to make Roti

1. Boil 250 g of yellow split peas with 3 garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of salt for 25-30 minutes: soft enough to crush, never mushy. Drain thoroughly and let them steam-dry.
2. Grind the peas with 1 teaspoon of toasted cumin seeds to a dry, sandy powder. A wet filling tears the dough, which is why the peas are dried first.
3. Mix 500 g of flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt, add about 280 ml of lukewarm water little by little and knead 8-10 minutes into a soft dough.
4. Oil the dough, cover it and let it rest at least 30 minutes so it relaxes and rolls out thin without tearing.
5. Divide into 6 balls, flatten each one in your palm, put 2 heaped tablespoons of pea powder in the centre, close it like a purse and pinch it shut.
6. Let the filled balls rest 15 minutes, then roll each out gently to about 25 cm, turning often so the filling spreads without breaking through.
7. Cook on a hot dry griddle 1 minute per side, brushing both faces with oil, edges included: without oil the roti goes crisp instead of soft.
8. Clap each hot roti between your hands to loosen the layers, then stack them under a cloth and serve with curried chicken and potato.

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