Dhalpuri roti are split pea stuffed flatbreads popular in various Caribbean nations. They originated from Indian immigrants and became a local staple.

This is another great recipe for the Baking World Tour. Barbados was the first one in my list, so that is why I made it for them. There might be variations between the roti on different islands, but the concept is the same. Unleavened flatbreads stuffed with ground split peas and then pan fried. They are commonly used as wraps for curried chicken. If you would like the curried chicken recipe, them check out my brioche curry bun video.

This recipe makes 6 large wraps. To make more simply multiply the amount of ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

250g (8.8oz) strong white bread flour

5g (0.17oz) salt

5g (0.17oz) baking powder

20g (0.7oz) vegetable or coconut oil

140g (4.9oz) water

For the dhal –

160g (5.6oz) dry split peas

2g (0.07oz) turmeric

2g (0.07oz) cumin

Pinch of chili flakes

3 bay leaves

1 whole onion

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Fresh coriander to taste

Salt & pepper

Method

1. Soak the split peas in water for 24 hours. You can also use tinned ones, but home cooked will always be best.
2. Drain the peas and pour them into a pot. Add the turmeric, cumin, pinch of chili, bay leaves and onion. Season with salt, cover with water. Bring up to a boil and cook for around 30 minutes or until soft.
3. Drain the peas. Discard the onion and bay leaves. Add the garlic, coriander, salt, and pepper. A food processor would be perfect to grind this up, but I only have a stick blender, which worked ok. Try to get the mix nice and smooth. If there are whole peas left, then they may tear the dough when rolling later.
4. Leave the filling to cool down completely.
5. Make the dough. In a bowl combine the water, salt, baking powder, and oil. Mix well to dissolve any large salt crystals. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
6. Knead for 6 minutes.
7. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls. Place them on a plate or a tray.
8. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can leave them in the fridge for longer if you want.
9. Flatten the dough balls and fill them with the ground dhal. I had too much filling and there was some left over. The recipe above is adjusted to be the right amount. So, use up all the filling.
10. Seal the dough up. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes. The resting helps with easing the shaping process. A cold dough is far easier to work with and during the time it is sitting it is also developing gluten making the dough stretchier.
11. Roll the dough out to around 25cm (10in).
12. Cook in a well-oiled pan on medium-high heat for around 5 – 6 minutes in total. Flip the roti every 30 seconds.
13. As soon as it comes out the pan cover it with foil or clingfilm. You want to keep them moist and pliable.

Enjoy with your favourite fillings.