Jamaican-Style Roti Flatbread
If you’re not familiar, roti is a flatbread originating from India but widely enjoyed in the Caribbean – typically with curries. This roti recipe is based on the Jamaican style of the traditional Indian flatbread and results in the softest buttery and flaky layers – perfect for scooping up curried anything or even using it as a tortilla if making burritos with any leftover beef birria!
There are several different types of roti but this recipe is essentially blends the methods of chapati and paratha roti by brushing with a butter and oil mixture while cooking and also “clapping” the roti to release steam between layers and making the flakiness more pronounced!
tips for success:
- Roll out your dough as thin as possible – both when brushing with the butter/oil mixture and right before cooking! This will ensure more layers once you re-roll to form a ball giving you a flaky roti with buttery pockets
- Let your dough rest. Gluten is a protein found in flour and gives structure to wheat products but too much can also make the product dense. Resting will allow gluten structures to loosen resulting in a softer roti.
- “Clap” your roti! The flaky layers of this roti is one of the things that makes it special! Clapping your roti releases the steam between the layers to make the flaky texture more pronounced. The OG way of doing this is literally to clap your hands with the roti between your palms immediately after removing it from the heat but it does take some skill (and bravery).
If you’re not ready yet to risk burned palms, placing the hot roti in a covered Tupperware container then shaking vigorously achieves the same result! - Choose the right pan. We roll out the roti pretty thin so you’ll end up with some pretty large roti so make sure you reach for your widest non stick pan so you won’t have to fold any dough over on itself.
Alternatively, if you have a gas stove, grab you widest pan, flip it over and cook your roti on the outside, this way any excess will fall over on the sides instead of flopping over on itself - Roti is best enjoyed immediately but can be just as satisfying reheated – just wrap really tightly in parchment paper and microwave for 30-45 seconds (depending on the amount of leftovers) then keep in the parchment paper for a couple minutes after to avoid them losing steam and moisture and drying out immediately.
Servings: 8 roti
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- plastic wrap
- 1 wide, shallow non stick pan
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups + 1 TBSP water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Combine melted butter and oil in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add water. Knead until dough smooth – about 4-5 minutes if kneading by hand and about 2 minutes if using a stand mixer
- Cover dough with plastic wrap or a clean, damp washcloth or paper towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
- Using a dough cutter, separate dough into 8-10 pieces.
- Using a rolling pin, roll each piece out to 1/8-1/16 inch thickness in a fairly circular shape then using a pastry brush, spread a thin layer across the surface of the rolled out dough.
- Cut a line from the center of the rolled out dough to the edge
- Starting at a cut end, roll it up, tucking the ends to keep a circular shape. Repeat this with all the other pieces of dough, keeping them covered with plastic wrap until final roll.
- Roll dough out a final time to about 1/16 inch (or as thin as possible)
- On a non-stick pan over medium-high heat cook until lightly brown/golden on each side, brushing cooked side with butter/oil mixture once flipped.
- Remove from heat and immediately "clap" your roti or alternatively, place in a lidded container (like tupperware) and shake vigorously for 5-10 seconds to release layers
Don’t be shy!Tag me on IG at @thestushkitchen & show off your cooking skills! I can’t wait to see what you cook up!
