COCONUT ROTI (POL ROTI)
Makes: 12-14 roti
■ 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) fresh scraped coconut or frozen grated coconut, thawed
■ 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter, room temperature
■ 4 1/2 cups (1.125 L) all-purpose flour
■ 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) fine sea salt
1. Place a square piece of parchment/wax paper on your work surface.
2. It should be just small enough to handle but large enough to work on (approximately 8 inches by 8 inches/20 cm by 20 cm; you may wish to precut a few to have handy). Once each roti is shaped, it will be easier to take it on the wax paper to the pan and then carefully drop it in.
3. In a large bowl, place the coconut, soft butter and 2 cups (500 mL) water.
4. Gradually add the flour, 1 cup (250 mL) at a time, kneading the mixture into a large ball. It should be moist but not sticky.
5. It should not stick to the bowl or your hands. Add a little bit more flour if needed. Let rest for 15 minutes.
6. Keep a bowl of cold water next to you as you prepare the roti.
7. Dampen your fingers and palms with water and pull off a piece of dough, slightly smaller than a tennis ball.
8. Dampen your hands again and flatten and shape the ball of dough into a 6-inch (15-cm) round on the wax paper surface.
9. Set a wide non-stick, ungreased, frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, place the roti in it.
10. Sprinkle the side that is facing up with a little water (use a tablespoon to sprinkle and smooth across the surface). When the moisture on the side facing up has evaporated, prepare to flip the roti.
11. Each roti will take approximately 3 minutes per side to cook. Once flipped, the cooked side facing up will be speckled with dark brown patches.
12. Use your spatula or the back of a spoon to firmly press across the face of the roti to let out the air and moisture (you will hear popping sounds) and ensure the roti has cooked through.
13. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve hot!
Note: Once the dough is prepared, it is rolled into balls and flattened into individual rounds, then flipped into a hot pan. Keep an eye on them as you brown each side, as you're also preparing the next roti, so you can keep things moving. As a beginner, don't worry as much about making the rounds into perfect circles as you do getting the method down as you go.