Curried Vegetable Roti Recipe – A Caribbean Treat

A Caribbean Vegetable Roti Recipe

Pemos West Indian Restaurant
Camps, Nevis – West Indies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup peanut oil
• 2 Small zucchinis, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Peeled medium all purpose potatoes, cooked and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 Scallions (green onions) cut into thin rings
• 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper minced finely
  1/2 cup baby peas
• 1/2 cup baby sweet corn
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Madras curry powder (#ad)
• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
• 4 Cups baby spinach
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1/4 Cup plain yoghurt
• Zest of 1 lime
  Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  4 roti breads, warmed
  Cilantro sprigs, for garnish another nice garnish is Mango Chutney

Cooking Method:

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the penaut oil. Add the zucchini, potatoes, scallions and pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the peas, sweetcorn and curry and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the tomato and spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and the tomato is just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the water and lime zest and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the skillet. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and stir in the yoghurt. Stuff the roti bread with the vegetables, garnish with the cilantro sprigs  or Mango Chutney and serve vegetable roti immediately.

How The Roti Got To The Caribbean

The British and Dutch transported Indian indentured workers to Trinidad in the mid-19th century due to a labor shortage in the sugar cane fields. These workers brought dahlpuri, a flexible roti wrap with split peas, as a lunch container and introduced it to Trinidadian culture. An edible food lunch container was developed, and dahlpuri became a popular way to transport food to and from the fields each day.