Curried Beef Roti (Sri Lankan Beef Roti)

Ingredients

• 500 g flour (about 4 cups)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• Vegetable oil (to coat)
• 455 g ground beef (1 lb)
• 226 g cooked potatoes (boiled and peeled and at room temp.)
• 2 tsp Sri Lankan Curry Powder
• 1 jalapeno (chopped)
• 1/2 medium red onion (finely chopped)
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 3/4 cup frozen peas (thawed)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional (we like to add about 1 1/2 tsp because we prefer a spicy filling))
• Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 2 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
• 1/4 onion (yellow or red, finely minced)
• 1 clove garlic (chopped)
• 2 tsp uncooked rice (crushed)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup unsweetened greek yogurt (or more to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Godhamba Roti (there will be extra dough leftover for plain roti) ---

2. 2

   Combine the flour, water and salt in a mixer bowl and knead for 6 - 10 minutes until soft and smooth.

3. 3

   Alternatively, mix the flour and water and salt until you form a scraggly dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough on a lightly floured counter for 2 - 3 minutes until the dough is smooth.

4. 4

   Portion out 12- 13 dough balls for regular sized stuffed roti, or 24 - 26 dough balls for mini rotis.

5. 5

   Coat each dough ball with oil and place it on a well-oiled tray in one layer. Make sure the dough balls are not touching each other as they can stick together easily.

6. 6

   Cover and leave them to rest for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

7. 7

   --- Curried Beef Filling (make this while the roti dough is resting) ---

8. 8

   Heat a non-stick pan with 1 tbsp of oil.

9. 9

   Add the onions, garlic and jalapeno (or green chili pepper) and saute until softened.

10. 10

    Add the curry powder and cayenne pepper and saute for just a few seconds.

11. 11

    Add the ground beef, a generous pinch of salt, and tomato ketchup. Cook while stirring, until the beef is cooked through and separated. Make sure the moisture in the ground beef is cooked out completely. Add the peas and cook until the peas are heated though and cooked.

12. 12

    Season to taste.

13. 13

    Let the filling cool slightly and add the potatoes. Gently crush the potatoes into the filling and mix through. Having small chunks of potatoes in the filling is preferred, so you don’t have to mash it all the way.

14. 14

    Taste and season again, if needed.

15. 15

    Let the filling cool completely.

16. 16

    --- Making Beef Roti ---

17. 17

    Place 1 dough ball on a flat, smooth and clean surface. Use oiled hands to flatten out the dough ball into a fairly thin, round sheet. Place a generous amount of filling in the middle of the roti (2 generous tablespoons for mini stuffed roti). To make it easier, shape the filling in the same shape that you want your roti to be.

18. 18

    Wrap the roti around the filling to form the shape you prefer (squares and rolls are the easiest shapes). Make sure you wrap the filling by stretching the roti around itself to double wrap, and the filling is properly sealed in.

19. 19

    Place the prepared rotis on an oiled plate until you're ready to cook them.

20. 20

    Heat a griddle or a non-stick pan to medium high heat. Lightly oil the surface with a pastry brush.

21. 21

    When the surface is nice and hot, place the stuffed roti on the griddle a few minutes per side until the roti is cooked and turns golden brown and crispy. Make sure all the sides of the roti are cooked.

22. 22

    Serve warm with spicy chili sauce or tomato ketchup or yogurt curry sauce.

23. 23

    --- Yogurt Curry Sauce ---

24. 24

    Place all the ingredients (except yogurt), in a saucepan. Cook covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 5 - 10 minutes until the curry has thickened slightly. Season to taste and let it cool. You will end up with a little over ½ cup of curry sauce.

25. 25

    When the curry is cooled, mix ½ cup of the cooled curry gravy with ¼ cup of greek yogurt. Season to taste. Add more yogurt to thicken the dip if needed.

26. 26

    Serve with the stuffed beef roti.