We’ve been on an awesome kick of Sri Lankan recipes kick lately. Maybe it’s because the cool, crisp Fall air is finally blowing in and we are craving comfort food. I thought I’d be craving for some creamy Mac n Cheese (not ruling it out, just yet), but we seem to be turning to our roots, instead.
Easy and comforting curries
I made a huge batch of Sri Lankan curry powder recently, and we have been feasting on some delicious and authentic curry recipes – not limited to Sri Lankan curries (like this chicken curry, beef curry, and black pork curry) but also Thai green curry (like this green curry roast chicken) and red curry and Indian curries too (like this amazing butter chicken). Fall also means sports, tailgating, plenty of game days and food that’s worthy of feeding a crowd. And when Mr K sat down in front of the TV for the NBA season opener a few days ago, I had one amazing game day snack waiting for him – Sri Lankan Stuffed Curried Beef Roti! Curried ground beef with peas and potatoes wrapped in a roti and cooked on a griddle to seal the wrap. This curried beef roti is straight up Sri Lankan street food that you can find with ease anywhere you go in the country (much like the famous kottu roti and Chinese rolls). They are eaten warm usually with a tomato sauce or fiery chili sauce, but here I made a curry yogurt sauce and a spicy cilantro sauce in place of a dipping sauce.
Roti dough for the beef roti
The roti dough used in this recipe has different names in different parts of South and South East Asia – Sri Lankans call it godhamba roti, Malaysians call it roti canai, Indians call it paratha roti. Whatever the name, it’s a delicious non-flaky roti that’s perfect for encasing that flavorful filling.
Sri Lankan snacks (or “short-eats”)
Like I said, these stuffed roti are a hot commodity in Sri Lanka. They can have different fillings – vegetarian and fish being the most popular. But since Mr K loves beef curry, I made a curried beef roti instead. These Sri Lankan snacks are an integral part of the country’s food culture. No matter where you go in the country, you will find different variations of Sri Lankan savory snacks (locally referred to as short-eats). They are like the Sri Lankan version of tapas. They range from stuffed roti like these, to deep fried crepes (Chinese rolls), fish cutlets (croquettes), fish patties (fish empanadas), pastries, to stuffed chiles and so much more! The flavors, the aromas, the textures are all very representative of the country’s food. I can’t tell you how many great memories I have of sneaking off to eat short-eats with my school friends back in the day. They were these little morsels of comfort and deliciousness that were also very affordable. Although unfortunately that affordability seems to be a thing of the past now, because the last time Mr K and I were in that neck of the woods, they were ridiculously expensive – didn’t stop me from stuffing my face with them though. These stuffed roti are special for me for another reason – I made stuffed vegetable roti all by myself, in front of an audience the family, in my grandmother’s kitchen when I was in grade school. It was the first recipe (which I learned in school) I made for the whole family, by myself with no help, and the nostalgia is pretty strong with that memory. 🙂
What is godhamba roti (or roti canai)?
Godhamba roti or roti canai is easy to make but takes a bit of patience. The dough is known for its soft, flaky texture and is seriously addictive. It’s a simple dough that’s kneaded and allowed to rest overnight after being coated with oil and then stretched out thin (to the point of being almost see-through). The kneading and the oil-covered resting period build the gluten structure and soften the dough, which helps you stretch the dough for cooking. The oil also helps keep the roti nice and flaky for canai or paratha.
How to cook the roti dough
From this point, there are a few different ways in which you can cook this dough.
Cook as is for godhamba roti (also known as “lensu” roti – i.e. handkerchief roti, due to the resemblance of the dough to handkerchiefs). Fold the edges towards the middle and cook on a griddle – for roti canai. Bunch up the roti and then twist it into a ball (like a snail shell) and then roll it out – for paratha. Or once the roti is cooked, you can shred it and mix it with vegetables, meat and curry for a lip-smacking, ass-kicking, killer dish called kottu roti. And finally, add some filling/stuffing (delicious curried beef in this case), wrap the roti around the filling and cook it on a griddle for stuffed roti like these curried beef roti.
Options for the roti filling
The stuffing for this spicy beef roti is also really easy, and easily adaptable.
Substitute with another meat like chicken, lamb curry, turkey or black pork curry for other kinds of stuffed roti. Substitute with extra potatoes and/or sweet potatoes for a vegetarian/ vegan version of this recipe Substitute with equal amount of cooked fish (canned or fresh) like a fish curry for fish roti. Add half a full boiled egg with any kind of mix for an added twist or Cook an egg INSIDE the roti for egg roti
When you add cooked potatoes, just don’t mash it all into the filling. I especially like having bits and chunks of potatoes to bite into, in the spicy filling. The roti can be shaped into whatever shape you want or find easy to form. Traditionally, different fillings are shaped differently in Sri Lanka so that it’s easy to identify which ones are vegetarian and which ones are fish and so on. I made triangles, but you can do squares, rectangles, rolls, rounds or whatever kind of geometry you fancy.
Recipe video
These stuffed beef roti are really great for something creative and fun for game day or tailgating! They are like a Sri Lankan version of burrito or wrap, except they are sealed and the dough/roti itself is addictive! You can make these ahead of time and then re-heat them in the oven (or on the grill) before serving. The curry dipping sauce is also optional, they are typically served with chili sauce or ketchup. They have such great depth of flavor, you don’t honestly need a dipping sauce anyway.
