GUYANESE ROTI
Roti is a type of Indian flatbread that comes in many different types and flavors. .This is usually served with stews such as curry or baigan choka. Its very popular in India and parts of the Caribbean. In Guyana it is very popular as a breakfast item. Today I’m sharing my mom’s recipe for paratha roti. I will attempt to demystify this simple but complex dish. My mom makes the best Roti so when I decided to make this, I called her up in the middle of her lesson at school. I knew that her recipe would come out perfect as always. I gobbled this up today with baigan choka, this combination is a favorite of mine.
Paratha Roti
1 cup self rising flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup shortening
Yields: 6 roti
Mix flours, salt and water to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth and let sit for 15 mins. Roll dough into a rectangular shape about 1/8 inch in thickness. Place oil and shortening together in a bowl. Spread oil and shortening mixture liberally over the dough, making sure entire surface of dough is oiled. Starting from the longer end, roll dough tightly( similar to the way roll the dough when making cinnamon rolls). Slice into six pieces. Tuck the loose end of dough in the top of each roll. so it doesn’t open up and let sit for at least half hour.
Traditionally this is cooked on a tawa but for those who do not have one can use a wide frying pan or crepe pan. Place tawa on a medium fire. While the pan heats up roll out the dough to a flat, thin circle. Place dough on an ungreased pan and cook for 1 minute, then flip. Liberally brush the oil mixture on the roti. Flip. Now brush the other side of the roti with the oil mixture and flip again. Cook for an additonal minute, then take off the fire and place in a covered bowl. Shake in covered bowl vigoruously. This will make the roti fluffy and should reveal the layers. Continue this process until all the roti is cooked. Enjoy this with curry, baigan choka or just by itself.
I could never get this right. I trying your way. Hope it works out for me
Hi Jehan- I am in the same boat as Yadah who posted on 4/27/13. I can neverrrrr get this right and yours seem simple enough. however, today is my first time attempting it again after years and it already looks a hot mess. Can you PLEASE post pics of each step starting from “rolling the dough into a rectangular shape?” I totally lost all hope at that step!!:(…. My rolls look nothing like yours because it was really hard to know what it should look like after each step. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO TRY THIS AGAIN!
Toni, if you google a recipe for cinnamon rolls you will see exactly how I rolled up the roti. I simply tucked the loose end into the middle like in the picture and let it sit.
Toni, if you google the recipe for step by step Cinnamon rolls you will get a pretty good idea as to how I rolled it out. After cutting the roti into individual pieces, I tucked the loose end into the middle. The next time that I make roti, I will take pics of it step by step and post it.
Hi Jehan-
I did not try the pumpkin stew yet but I am trying your roti recipe tonight! It’s been years since I did that; not having to “clap” the roti is a plus. Will let you know how it turns out….
I DID IT!!!
Your recipe was “spot on”. I followed your instructions to every detail and was not disappointed. Friday night dinner was great, I even made “baigan choka”. Thanks Jehan!
Great job Skyy! Let me know how that turns out.
Hi Jihan
Thank you for sharing your with us. I think it is great. Please can i have dhal puri?
Thank you.
Thanks Val. Here the link to dhal puri: https://jehancancook.com/?p=981
I have to try your recipes
Hey Jehan, I have made these a few times and they have turned out well. My question is in relation to this statement “Tuck the loose end of dough in the top of each roll. so it doesn’t open up” Can you give a bit more detail as to what your doing here? Mine never end up looking like you uniform balls of dough.
Thanks,
James, it’s very difficult to describe in more detail. I will definitely look into making a short video show a tutorial in the future. In the meanwhile here’s a video showing the technique to making roti. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVYFi_cMAYY
I just made bake (I’m Guyanese), and it came out exactly how I like it! I’ve made it a few times before, but this is the best that it’s come out. Tastes similar to how my grandma makes it. So glad I found your website. Keep up the good work!
You do a great job Jeehan!!!! Keep it up.
Trying this out right now…hope to get it right
Hi, Jehan. I married a Guyanese man and I keep hearing about ghee. What is this exactly? My mother-in-law makes amazing food but I have never seen her use ghee on her roti. Who knows if it makes it even better?! I would like to give it a try, but this American girl doesn’t know exactly what it is. Thank you, for being amazing enough to create this blog. I showed my husband and he is excited about trying these recipes too!
Ok so tonight i decided to make the Parathi Roti and they were a so delicious and fluffy!!!
Last night i made the bake and filled some with cream cheese and the others with beef and veggies, and that as well was another delicious success!!! Thanks so much!
im having hard time using baking soda especially when it come to roti. can u please help me 🙂
I love your recepies Jehna tried bake and saltfish and it was superb. That is in Guyana so i use selfrising flour instead was great. Now im in the US and cant find properly ingredients, i buy self rising in the store and the bake was awefull also roti. What type of flour do u recommended? Keep up the great inspiration of food you’re just wonderful to share what u know and like doing 🙂
Hi Shalenee, Thanks your for visiting and I’m glad you liked the bake. So sorry to hear that you’re having issues with the flour. I highly recommend using King Arthur’s self rising flour.
Hi Jehan,
Your site is amazing!
Quick question, if i opt to use all purpose flour do you know how much baking powder i should use for 3 cups of flour?
Hey! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be
ok. I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward to new
posts.
Yes I do! You can follow me @Jehancancook.
Great recipe! I grew up watching my grandmother make all kinds of roti, and this came out just like hers! The only changes I made was that I rolled out the roti with flour on the table and on the pin, and I grease the tawa between rotis, so you only have to flip it once.
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Yessss! I have wanted to try to make my own roit for the longest. And here you are, serving up a recipe that looks like it will definitely work. Thank you!
how to make Guyanese cook-up rice. I hear that stewed saltfish with plenty of onions is really goo. thanks
Paulette, here’s the recipe to cookup–>https://jehancancook.com/?p=1203
I posted a comment asking a question about the roti I made and thus far have not seen my request or an answer. I have been faithfully following your website and have made several dishes. If you choose to publish only some of the questions asked, then I am afraid that I will have to look elsewhere for my recipes. However, I have been mostly successful with the recipes I had made previously before trying the Roti.
Jules, I publish all of my comments. If I didn’t respond to you comment it is because I didn’t see it. Some of the comments are marked as spam and sent straight to the spam folder or trash. If you would like to reach me directly and receive a quicker response by all means email me at Jehancancook@gmail.com. Sorry for the confusion.
awsome job nice sharing
This is Great Article
Thanks for the recipe
i will try to cook it
I have been cooking Roti for over a year now n can never get it right. Told my husband just last night that I give up n I’m taking flour off our grocery list. Il gv this recipe a try tonight since I still have flour in pantry
jehan your new name from now on is “JEHAN MADE A ROTI MAKER OUT OF DEBS WITH ONLY ONE TRY. Thanks a lot jehan , at last ive done thanks to you, and please thank your mother for me too. i So far ive made paratha, dhalpuri and aloo puri all with sucess.
yip one for those trying the paratha, when the dough is combined knead the dough only 10 to 12 times only then cover with damp cloth place in dark place leave to rest for 30 minitues. thats what worked for me try it out and see if it works for you. GOOD LUCK,AND JEHAN THANK YOU THANK YOU.
Hi Jehan, Ive been married to my guyanese husband for 15 years and his mom is no longer here so no one to cook guyanese for him. Never made roti. Thanks to your website I am now making roti and chow mein for entire family and they love it (been enjoying your recipes for about a year now). You’ve demistified cooking guyanese by actually providing measurements. Wonderful thanks so much.
This roti was delicious thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you for sharing your mom’s recipe. My husband is India and I want to try to make this for him. I know he must miss eating it. I am planning to make it for lunch with duck curry on Christmas day.
Your roti recipe and method really worked for me. I’ve tried many other recipes, but yours is the best. I only cooked two at a time, so the dough sat in the fridge for 3 days, and still good. Thank you for all your recipes.
I saw your recipe and immediately wanted to try it….but had to wait for the weekend….lets just say…my son couldnt wait for me to finish…and my daughter said…how many did you make want another one…I havent made roti in about 20 years…thanks for sharing Jehan…what I like is the technique of roling like cinnamon roll.
Jehan
Can you tell me the recipe to make the roti with baking powder instead of self rising flour which I don’t have.
Yasmin it’s 3 cups all purpose flour to 1-1/2 tsp baking powder.
Hi jehan good night i tried the roti recipe it came out soft the only problem was loosing when clapping dont know due to self raising flour
Christine what do you mean it was loosing??
Hi Jehan
You should call this recipe “Roti for Dummies” Absolutely perfect! Came out just like your pictures on the first try. I am totally amazed. Excellent instructions easy to follow. The cinnamon roll technique was great. Thanks to your mom too. Couldn’t even wait for my meat to finish cooking. I ate my roti with gravy from the pot! Simply the best.
Many thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.
PatC that’s so great to hear! Enjoy!
edalin.deally@optimum.net.
Yum, Yum, your roti recipe is excellent.
I do almost the same.
only difference , I use just a pinch of salt.. and add a healthy teaspoon of sugar.
also I use ghee instead of your shortening. I love the aroma of ghee.
The bowl technique is amazing :-} .. I just clap them in a clean kitchen towel, used only for this purpose.. thank you for sharing your recipe… delightful
This ended up like Sada roti, not flaky , hard, I think it was the self Rise flour.
That shouldn’t be the case, as you can see from the video the roti isn’t hard. It could have been rolled too thick before adding the oil and shortening, it could have been cooked too long. Also it could have been overmixed which affects the texture.
perfect.. I’m almost there. I will follow you steps to the TEE. You’ve been 100% for me.
Love all that you do. Blessings.
Looks delicious! Can you use butter in place of the shortening?
It would be better to use ghee if you’re looking for that butter flavor.