Grandma's Roti

BY: Jada Williams

Roti is my culture, my history, my life,but it’s also a rare treat. Whenever I went to my grandmother’s house a cluttered kitchen always surrounded me. I always walked into a new world of new and familiar foods. Sometimes it was soup, or fish, or cow’s foot. But sometimes I would walk into the fresh smell of mix being heated on the cast iron, slowly turning into a bread pancake. Pots like a mountain filled with food scraps stuck at the bottom. What if an avalanche started good thing it’s a sturdy mountain. People in the kitchen constantly moving like ants in an anthill. I want to go in but I might get trampled. What is it? I wondered. What are they making? I took one whiff and I knew what I had walked into and I loved every second of it. The pots on the stove are filled with gravy from the chicken adding flavor to the potatoes at the same time. Deliciously, delectable chicken so tender that it falls off the bone. I couldn't help myself from taking some. Who knew maybe I was saving someone from getting poisoned. Taste tester is the most important job you know, and I’m very good at my job. I thought, maybe I should take some more just to make sure it’s not poisoned. The flaky dough so soft and hot, triggering the umami part of my tongue, forcing my brain to beg for more. Then boom the sound of my stomach saying, “No more, I can’t.” Why not take a break and make space. And make space I did. Maybe I'll have a little more. After four more bowls I took a rest allowing my body to process what I had just done. People say that inhaling food isn't good for you but I just think that it’s a more efficient way to get food in your body. After I ate, I always dreamt of how she made it. What is her secret ingredient? Was it vegetables,peas, carrots or maybe flour or yeast. I always watched her make it but I always forgot what she did. I would have tried to make it myself if I weren’t so tired. As my grandmother got older the happy surprises became joyous memories.

            I’ll always remember my favorite food that I may never taste again. But maybe I got it. I got the secret recipe. Maybe this is it :

Caribbean Trinidad Roti                             Total Time

Ingredients                                                                                                                  45 mins

Servings 6                                                                                                                   PREP 15 mins

4 cups all purpose flour                                                                                             COOK 30 mins

2 teaspoons baking flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup oil

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Gradually add the oil and water while mixing and kneading the dough, set the dough aside for 15 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls. Flatten each slightly and roll out into 8 inch squares.
3. To cook Roti, place the butter in a cast iron over high heat until it sizzles. Reduce the heat to medium and place one Roti in the pan at a time.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the crust is light brown. Turn with wide spatula and continue cooking. Repeat the process with the Rotis. Serve immediately.