Round Flatbread

By : F. Zahra Raihana Zuhri

Being Sri Lankans it is not a wonder if you did not know what Round Flatbread meant as
for us it is always simply ‘Roti’. India is the birthplace of this celebrity meal that is addressed in
diverse ways worldwide in terms of additional ingredients in the dough other than the main
ingredients; wheat flour and water, the curries they are served with, and even the ways they are
presented or should I say dressed. In India itself you could see it addressed as Chapati - a staple
food of India, Naan – baked rotis, Paratha – layered rotis, Puri – fried rotis and what not they are
served with!

Here in Sri Lanka, the roti dough is made of wheat or kurakkan flour, salt that is optionally
used, and kneaded with water. Though it is specifically ‘Pol Roti’ or else ‘Coconut Roti’ the natives
address it as roti because it is the most common variety of this flatbread family here that comes
along with a spicy sambol ‘Lunu Miris’ which would never miss to be beside this coconut round
flatbread cuisine. Me being a huge roti fan who desperately wishes to dive deep into this variety
did not know for long that roti generally addressed actually indicated Pol roti until the rotis I
prepared at home reached my next circle of people; the first circle is always home. This particular
dish made with diversifications is the topic of today’s review – My Home Made Roti!

As mentioned above, roti for me is not Pol roti. Pol roti is Pol roti itself while roti is without
Pol, Coconut. For this, wheat flour, salt, sugar, butter or ghee as preferred is kneaded with water
at room temperature. Here, there are options. If you prefer crispy roti like the cover of a patty then
you need to go for ice water and for soft ones, warm water would be ideal. There are enough and
more times I have ruined my dough using boiling water as it over softens the dough ruining its
texture. This same thing done in Atta flour is known as Atta roti, another favorite of mine. These
dishes are served with any sort of gravies, curries which could be vegetarian or not. Either of them
increases the presence of our wonderful flatbreads.

Then moving on to my all time love – Parathas. Parathas are prepared in a similar way to
plain rotis but the oil consumption is comparatively really high. If you have high blood pressure
or hypertension, then this should be definitely removed from your plate. Unlike other rotis,
Parathas have many layers creating a flaky bread. This is because of the several rolling outs done before
going to the pan. Further, egg is added additionally to the dough to get that elastic texture
needed to bring out those layers clearly. Chickpea curry is my ideal choice to go with these yummy
Parathas. If you are not a fan of vegetarian, still you are most welcome to bring in your picked favorite
curry to enjoy this deserving dish.

After all, you yourself could create a variety of dishes knowing only these two. Apply some
garlic paste on the roti while on the pan for ‘Garlic Flatbread’. Break an egg on to the roti while
on the pan for a ‘Egg Roti’ but remember to overlook that the egg does not run in the pan out of
the roti and that it is well cooked. Cut the prepared rotis into squares, rectangles, triangles or any
other shape you would like see them in your plate. Get the stove on. Add some grated carrots,
leaks, scrambled egg, sauces as your preference, salt and finally your cut pieces of rotis. Tadaaa!
Your Kottu is ready. Do not forget to prepare a chili paste which is never missed by us or the hotels
who serve us. Whatever said and done, Paratha with chickpea curry is my all time favorite. What’s
yours?