Roti Chicken
I'm making a lot of my friends very, very happy by posting this recipe. Up until now, I've always blatantly refused to hand over my Roti chicken recipe (and rightfully so). There are certain things you just don't share. Men, eyeliner and your secret recipes! But I was in a generous mood, so here it is!
I have a deep-seated love for Suriname food---it's absolutely fantastic food. Colorful, fragrant, spicy, hearty and simple. Real soul food, that anyone can make. Suriname Roti Chicken is probably my all-time favorite dish. It's a combination of chicken, potatoes and green beans in a fragrant sauce eaten with (or wrapped inside) roti pancakes. They're a little like my potato crepes, only thicker and far more flavorful. Delicious. You haven't truly lived until you've eaten a Roti Chicken at least once.
I've tried many recipes over the past few years but this one became my favorite. It's by no means low fat; it requires lots of oil. Sunflower oil to be precise. It's also not a fast recipe---you really have to take the time for it. But trust me when I say; it's so worth it. It's highly addictive food, but don't blame me for that! I'm just passing along a recipe and claim complete innocence!
It might look like a complicated recipe, but seriously, it's not. Just hold my hand and I'll take you there ... step by step.
Roti Potatoes:
2 large chicken fillets (about a pound)
27 oz potatoes (750gr)
7 oz green beans
1/2 red chili pepper (or Madam Jeanette)
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
pinch ground cumin (or djinten)
1 tbsp tomato paste
chicken stock cube
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water
pepper
salt
Roti pancakes:
(potatoes)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 red chili pepper (or Madame Jeanette)
9 oz self rising flour
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp lukewarm water
salt
Directions:
Even with storyboards, this is a photographic intense posting! Consider yourself warned. Have to say I'm proud of how this posting came out, though!
These puppies are my one true addiction. I've peeled and washed 27 oz (750gr) potatoes. Go for potatoes that hold their shape. About 1/3 of this I'm cutting up in coarse pieces; we're gonna make mashed potatoes out of them.
I'm boiling them in my microwave, but feel free to use your stove top in stead. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until very tender. Cooking time depends on how small you cut the potatoes.
I've cut the rest of the potatoes in slightly smaller pieces, rinsed them and put them in a big bowl filled with cold water. Keep them there until we're ready to use them.
Cut up two medium onions.
Grate two garlic cloves, but keep the cloves separated. Did I mention you shouldn't be afraid to use garlic in this recipe?
Wash 7 oz fresh, crispy green beans. Trim the ends and break them in half.
I don't like handling chili pepper with my son around. When something happens I have to be able to tend to him immediately. What can I say? I'm such a mommy. So I've de-seeded a chili pepper, put half of it in a mini food processor, added 2 garlic cloves and a pinch of ground cumin and blitzed.
I've simply used my fork to mash the chili & garlic up even more. You can also use a mortar and pestle for this, of course.
Then I delegated some work; I had someone else chop the remaining chili pepper for me. I'm good at that!
I opted for chicken fillet, but you can also use skinless and boneless breasts. Cut the chicken in bit-size pieces.
Drain the potatoes. Add the garlic & chili mix, a tiny knob of butter and mash them. Try to get them as lump-free as you possibly can. Season with a generous amount of salt and some pepper.
Time to make the roti dough! You can skip this step (and the mashed potatoes step) if you are running out of time and just grab yourself some basic tortillas in stead. You'll have taken the roti out of roti chicken, but I won't hold it against you or ridicule you. I promise! (crosses fingers behind back)
Plunge 1 1/2 cup self rising flour in a bowl. If you don't have self rising flour, here's a great tip: for each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and about 1/2 tsp salt. Instant self-rising flour.
Add 2 tbsp sunflower oil, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp lukewarm water to the flour. I'm using the dough hooks in my hand mixer for this.
Knead until it's a supple dough, put it in a bowl, cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
Big part of the flavor in this dish comes from curry powder. I'm using Chan's curry powder. If you don't like curry powder, this really isn't a recipe for you because it simply can not be substituted. That would be like eating tomato soup without tomatoes.
You'll also need a chicken stock cube. I'll often use two of them, but the basic recipe calls for one. Who wants to be basic? :)
This recipe relies heavily on the use of sunflower oil. It gives the dish a very characteristic flavor and I wouldn't suggest substituting it. Heat 2 tbsp oil, add 50% of the chopped onions, 1 grated garlic clove and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 tsp curry powder (don't you love my odd-size measuring spoons!), crumble up half the stock cube and add it. Cook for a minute while you drain the potatoes you've kept in the water up until now. Add the potatoes and green beans, give it all a good stir and cook for another minute before pouring in 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water in there as well.
Put the lid on and simmer, over low heat, for 10 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp sun-flower oil (told you we'd use a lot of it), and add the remaining onions, garlic and chili pepper. Cook for 3 minutes before adding 1 tbsp curry powder, the remaining stock cube (crumble it) and 1 tbsp tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute to sweeten the tomato paste.
All that's left to do now is add your chicken and cook for a few minutes, until the chicken loses it's rawness. Add the chicken mix to the potatoes and beans and stir.
Season the chicken and potatoes with a generous amount of salt and optionally some pepper. Put the lid back on and simmer for another 20 minutes; until the chicken and potatoes are well done.
Still with me? Just checking.
Divide your dough in 4 pieces. Sprinkle flour on top of your cutting board or counter top and form a ball out of each piece of dough. Push a hole in the middle.
Well, a hole, it looks more like a meteor crater. Put about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp of the mashed garlic potatoes in the hole, and fold the dough around it. I can almost see you frown! Come on now, trust me.
Flatten the dough with your hand, sprinkle flour on top of it and roll it with a dough pin until you end up with a 1/4 inch pancake-ish type of construction. The mashed potatoes will do amazingly yummy things to the roti and the garlic and chili pepper will add loads of flavor.
More sunflower oil abuse! Pour some in a hot skillet and place the roti in the skillet. Now brush the top of the roti with the sunflower oil (from the skillet) and cook until it starts to form bubbles on top. Flip it over and brush it with oil once more. After about 2 minutes you flip it over once again and give it an additional minute.
Make all the roti pancakes and keep them on a plate, covered with a cloth, until you're done.
There. We're done. You've just made yourself a nice Roti Chicken. Aren't you proud of yourself?
