Roti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Roti (disambiguation).
- For the Indonesian island, see Rote Island.
Roti (Hindi: रोटी ; Punjabi: ਰੋਟੀ ; Urdu: روٹی ; IPA: [ro:ʈi]) is the Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Indonesian, Malaysian, Bengali word for bread.
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[edit] Names
Generically, the word roti may refer to many different kinds of bread, such as chapati and phulka, each with its specific name. In Marathi, roti is often called Chapati or Poli. In Gujarati it is rotli. In Punjabi, a light, easily eaten roti is called Phulka. Roti is usually used to refer to the round flat unleavened breads eaten throughout India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, in contrast to the yeasted naan breads originating primarily in the north-west of the South Asia and Central Asia.
[edit] Outside South Asia
[edit] Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand
In Indonesia and Malaysia the term encompasses all forms of bread including western-style bread as well as the traditional punjabi breads. Roti is made most often from wheat flour, cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tawa. Like breads around the world, roti is a staple accompaniment to other foods, maybe spread with ghee (clarified butter) or yoghurt, used as a scoop, or rolled up with a filling.
In Thailand, "roti" refers to the maida paratha—known in Malaysia as roti canai and in Singapore as roti prata—which is typically drizzled with condensed milk, rolled up, and eaten as a hot snack.
[edit] West Indies
Roti also features prominently in the diet of many West Indian countries, especially Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. West Indian roti are primarily made from wheat flour, salt, and water. They are cooked on a tava. Certain rotis are also made with butter. There are several types of roti made in the West Indies:
- Sada Roti: Similar to naan. It is cooked on a tava, therefore the bottom is not crisp like that of a naan. Because it is the easiest one to make, it is the most commonly consumed roti in Trinidad. It is a popular breakfast option in Trinidad, in combination with tomato choka, baigan choka (aubergine), and other vegetable dishes.
- Paratha Roti: A roti made with butter, usually ghee. It is cooked on a tava. Oil is rubbed on both sides, then it is fried. This gives the roti a crisp outside. When it almost finished cooking, the cook begins to beat the roti while it is on the tava, causing it to crumble. It is also called 'Buss-Up-Shut' because it resembles a 'burst up shirt'.
- Dosti Roti: A roti where two layers are rolled out together and cooked on the tava. It is also rubbed with oil while cooking. It is called dosti roti because the word dosti means friendship in Hindi. This type of roti is not made in Guyana.
- Dalpuri: A roti with a stuffing of ground yellow split peas, cumin (geera), garlic, and pepper. The split peas are boiled until they are al dente and then ground in a mill. The cumin is toasted until black and also ground. The stuffing is pushed into the roti dough, and sealed. When rolled flat, the filling is distributed within the roti. It is cooked on the tava and rubbed with oil for ease of cooking. This is the most popular roti. Another version of this is aloopuri, which is made from potatoes.
[edit] Guyana
Sometimes a small amount of fat is placed in each piece of dough before it is rolled out to make the roti softer. Vegetable oil, butter, or margarine is used. Ghee is never used in everyday Guyanese cooking, but only for cooking on religious occasions. The Roti is clapped by hand or beaten a bit, hot off the tava, so it softens but does not break. A good roti in Guyana is one that is very soft, with layers (almost like pastry layers if possible), which remains whole.
- Among the Indo-Guyanese, a rolled out dough that is deep fried in ghee is called a puri, and is only made for religious gatherings. Dalpuri is the only puri that is eaten regularly.
- Bake: Another item prepared like roti is bake or bakes. Dough is rolled out and cut into shapes or rolled into small rounds. These can be baked in an oven, but they are usually fried in oil. They are sometimes called frybake. Bake are usually paired with a fryup for breakfast or dinner, or with stewed saltfish.
[edit] Other dishes
The word 'roti' in the West Indies may also refer to a dish of stewed or curried ingredients wrapped in a 'roti skin'. In Barbados the local fast food chain Chefette serves various rotis. Popular variations include chicken, conch, beef and vegetable. Shrimp and goat are also often available. In Toronto, Canada, roti often refers to this meal. The term is also used in cities surrounding Toronto and may be in local usage elsewhere in Canada.
