Dhalpuri Roti

Story

Dhalpuri roti descends directly from the North Indian dal-stuffed breads brought by Indian indentured labourers who arrived in Trinidad from 1845 onwards to work sugar and cocoa estates after the abolition of slavery. Those workers adapted their familiar dal puri and paratha traditions to local ingredients, gradually producing a thinner, tawa-cooked flatbread stuffed with ground split peas, roasted cumin and garlic. By the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the dish had moved off the estates and into the street-food culture of a creolising island, becoming a cornerstone of Indo-Trinidadian identity. Today dhalpuri is the classic vehicle for a roti wrap, folded around curried chicken, goat, channa or vegetables and eaten by hand.

Ingredients

• For the dhal filling:
• 400 g dried yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
• 2 to 2.5 litres water
• 20 to 25 g garlic cloves, peeled
• 5 g fresh Scotch bonnet or hot pepper, seeds removed
• 10 to 15 g fresh chadon beni or culantro leaves (or substitute fresh coriander)
• 4 to 6 g ground roasted cumin (geera)
• 1 g ground turmeric
• 5 to 8 g fine salt, or to taste
• 30 to 45 ml neutral oil
• For the dough:
• 600 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 8 g baking powder
• 8 g fine salt
• 30 ml neutral oil or melted ghee
• 300 to 340 ml lukewarm water
• 60 to 80 ml neutral oil or ghee, for cooking

Method

• 1. Rinse the split peas and place in a large pot with the water. Boil over high heat, then reduce and cook for 15 to 25 minutes until the peas are cooked but still firm and crush easily. They must not be mushy. Drain thoroughly and leave to steam dry.
• 2. In a food processor, blend the garlic, hot pepper and chadon beni until finely chopped. Add the cooked peas in batches and process to a dry, powdery, almost sandy texture.
• 3. Mix in the cumin, turmeric and salt. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat, add the pea mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 to 15 minutes until completely dry and loose. Remove and leave to cool completely.
• 4. Make the dough: whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in the oil until the mixture looks slightly coarse. Gradually add lukewarm water and mix until a soft, smooth, non-sticky dough forms. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes.
• 5. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
• 6. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls (about 75 g each). Divide the cooled filling into 8 equal portions (about 50 to 60 g each).
• 7. Flatten one dough ball into a disc about 7 to 8 cm wide. Place one portion of filling in the centre, bring the dough edges up and pinch firmly to seal, enclosing the filling completely. Roll gently between palms to smooth. Repeat with remaining balls. Cover filled balls and rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• 8. Heat a tawa or heavy flat griddle over medium heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one filled ball into a thin circle about 20 to 22 cm across, turning often and pressing evenly so the filling does not burst through.
• 9. Brush the hot tawa with a little oil. Cook the roti for 20 to 30 seconds until small bubbles appear, then brush the top with oil and flip. Cook a further 20 to 30 seconds, brush again and flip once more. The roti should be soft and pliable with light brown spots, not crisp. Total cooking time is about 60 to 90 seconds.
• 10. Transfer to a bowl lined with a clean cloth and cover to keep warm. Repeat rolling and cooking with the remaining dough. Serve warm, filled with curry of your choice.

Common questions