You’ve had Aloo (potato) roti right? Spiced seasoned mashed potatoes encased in dough that when rolled thinly puffs up on the tawah. It is a taste of home and considered comfort food. It is a treat. Eaten as is or with a slathering of sour and washed down with your favourite hot or cold beverage, it is pleasurable eating. Well, I want you to imagine all of that, only this time, the filling of spiced, mashed cassava!
Come with me.
This cassava-stuffed roti is made a little heartier than the traditional potato roti. I made it in the style of a Sada roti because I felt that the cassava being heavier and more condensed than potatoes, needed a dough with a little more heft. I was right. Whilst cooking, it puffed up just as Sada roti or potato roti would. Here’s why I want you to try this roti: unlike Sada roti, I brushed this roti hot off the stove with melted butter, sprinkled it with fresh ground geera/cumin and fresh coriander/cilantro. It was the bomb!
This roti can be eaten as is, with sour or achar or with your favourite fried vegetable, all rolled up to be eaten like a wrap. Of course you can have it with your favourite meat or seafood curry, as a wrap, or in our usual way of eating roti and curry or roti or fried/sauteed vegetables – by tearing off a piece of the roti and dipping into a curry while capturing a piece of meat, seafood or vegetables.
When you make this roti, you will like it. And you will find that you do not need anything else to have with it. It is filling and satisfying. I especially liked mine with a hot beverage. You see when it is reheating on a tawah, the aroma of the geera combined with the butter that was brushed on makes you salivate. It becomes a little toasty with spots of crustiness. Man just thinking about it makes me hungry. Actually, the next time I make some, I want to add frizzled salt fish or smoked fish to the cassava mixture. Can you imagine how awesome that would taste?
Here’s how to make this Cassava-stuffed roti. Start by making the filling.
FILLING – Boil the cassava in salted water. Be sure that the water has salt to taste as that is the best way to season the cassava. Drain the cassava and remove the membrane found in the middle. Start first by mashing with a potato masher then using food-safe gloved hands, continue to mash and mix in the other flavourings. For the seasonings, I like to cook them a little first rather than adding them raw, so I sautéed scallions/green onions (the white and green parts) along with hot peppers. I added roasted garlic which I always have in the refrigerator, however, you can finely mince raw garlic and cook it until soft with the onions and peppers on low heat. You do not want the aromatics to develop a colour.
Finely minced fresh cilantro/ coriander was also added to the mashed cassava along with freshly toasted ground geera/ cumin. I wanted the geera to be coarsely ground with some of it left whole. Make enough for the filling and to sprinkle on top of the cooked roti.
Let the filling cool completely before stuffing the dough.
DOUGH – For every cup of flour, use 1 level teaspoon of baking powder. Add salt as you normally would when making Sada roti, along with a sprinkling of sugar. Now, these days, I like to add yogurt to my Sada roti dough just as is done when making Naan, therefore, add some yogurt. For every cup of flour, add a level tablespoon of yogurt.
To mix: start by mixing together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, then add the yogurt and enough room temperature water to make a dough. When the dough comes together, knead for 3 to 4 minutes only. Brush with oil, cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes (half an hour).
Use plain whole milk yogurt. Plain low fat will work too. Plain Greek yogurt works too.
Divide the dough into equal pieces and stuff with the spiced cassava filling, just as you would with potato roti or dhal puri. Place the stuffed dough seam-side down as you fill each one. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes before cooking, starting with the first filled dough.
COOKING – The roti can be cooked on a tawah, or similar type of griddle pan or a flat top, or in a skillet, cast iron or other. The roti needs to be dressed once it is cooked so use either ghee, or melted butter (unsalted or salted). You will also need the reserved ground geera/cumin, and optional, some finely chopped cilantro/coriander.
Roll the roti as thinly or thickly as you like and cook over medium-low heat. The cooking time will vary depending on how thick or thin the roti is rolled.
Cook the roti, just as you would any roti. You do not have to say-kay this roti as is usually done with Sada roti. You know, the pulling aside of the tawah to let the flames lick the edge of the roti to prompt it to swell. Once cooked, transfer to a lined bowl or platter, immediately brush with ghee or butter, sprinkle with geera/cumin and cilantro/coriander if using. Continue to roll, cook and dress each roti, stacking them one on top of the other. And get set for some good noshing.
This roti folds easily as it cools. Make it and let me know what you think.
Have a Happy Independence everyone!
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
