Week 4, Day 1: Roti

Tonight was our last international meal, sent in by Becky. She is applying for a job in Grenada (as far as I know, she's still waiting to hear back), and this recipe comes from there. Grenada is known for it's spices, and this recipe definitely has some kick! I was so disappointed not to find plantains to make fried plantains with it. Oh, well.

Chicken Roti
1/2 c oil
1 1/2 large onion, very finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger (I've used ginger powder occasionally & it works too)
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala (its a spice, most Smith's stores have it)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 1/2 c water
4 med tomatoes, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (you can substitute equal amounts of lamb, beef, firm white fish, or vegetables for the chicken if you would like to)
3/4 pound potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 3/4 c)
8 Roti wrappers (I don't have access to an easy Roti recipe, so I have used the non-baked large tortillas, and baked them before adding the curry mix to them)
chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 15-20 min, or until deep brown. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 min, or until fragrant. Add the coriander and stir for 1 min to blend. Reduce the heat to low, add the turmeric, cumin, garam masala, and cayenne and cook for 10 min. Increase the heat to med-high, add 1 c of the water, and cook for 10 min, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the tomatoes, stir well, and cook for 5 min. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 3 min, or until coated with the onion mixture. Add the potatoes and the remaining 1 1/2 c water. Cook for about 10 min, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the potatoes are tender.

To heat the wrappers, heat a griddle or large skillet over high heat. Working one at a time, brush both sides of the wrappers lightly with vegetable oil and cook until browned on both sides. As each wrapper is done, transfer to a greaseproof paper.

To assemble the dish, spook equal portions of curry onto the wrappers, garnish with the cilantro, and fold over (I do it envelope style). Serve hot.

Just for fun, here's what the filling looked like when it was finished cooking:

The Verdict: 2 thumbs up, 1 thumb medium, 2 thumbs down. This was so flavorful and the cooking process was so different than most dishes I've cooked, in a way it was exciting to see it take shape. I was certain that the onions were just going to be burned to a crisp, and honestly, I didn't cook them for 15 minutes, or even 10. I really enjoyed learning more about Grenada, too, so I could tell the family about it. I was surprised that my girl who doesn't love spice really loved this!