Pea and potato rotis

Method

Step 1

Sift the flour with 1tsp salt into a bowl. Fill a jug with 100ml warm water (you might need more). Add 3tbsp oil and 1tbsp or so of warm water to the bowl and stir. Using the handle of a wooden spoon to stir, add the rest of the water little by little, until all used. Mix with your hands until it comes together into a soft, pliable dough. Set aside for about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and just cover with water. Add ½tsp turmeric and 1tsp salt. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, then simmer for about 8 minutes until tender. Drain and let the potatoes cool. When cool enough to handle, mash them with your hands so they are broken up but are still nice and chunky. Set aside.

Step 3

Heat the oil in a saucepan or wok over a medium heat. When hot and beginning to shimmer, fry the onion until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the curry leaves and pandan leaf,  if using. After 30 seconds, stir in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and sugar. After another 30 seconds, add the carrot and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until the carrot is tender.

Step 4

Add the cooked potatoes, peas, chilli powder, cardamom, the rest of the turmeric and 1tsp salt. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes, until the peas are tender and everything is well coated and fragrant. Remove from the heat, stir in 1tsp black pepper and add more salt if needed. Set aside to cool.

Step 5

To assemble, grease two dinner plates with oil. Pour a little oil onto your hands and divide the dough into 12 equal balls, each weighing about 50g. (Any excess can be frozen.) Cover each ball in oil and place it on one of the dinner plates.

Step 6

Place one of the dough balls in the middle of the other greased dinner plate. Using your fingers, smooth and stretch the dough out until it is 2-3mm thick. Place 2tbsp of the potato filling in the centre. Carefully fold the stretched dough around it, until you have a rough tube shape with closed ends, and then place back on the greased dinner plate with the remaining balls. Repeat for all the rotis.

Step 7

Set a frying pan over a medium heat. Using a piece of kitchen roll, smear a little oil over the base of the pan and leave it for 1-2 minutes to get hot. Place 2 or 3 rotis in the pan, and cook for about 30 seconds until golden brown; this will also create a flat side to each roti. Rotate each roti 90 degrees and cook for 30 seconds on this side, until golden brown. Keep rotating the roti until each one is a long box shape, and all the sides and the ends are golden. Place on a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining rotis. Serve while still warm.