Skip to main content

Caribbean-Style Veggie Roti


Toronto is a mecca for ethnic food and Caribbean food is no exception.  I fell in love with roti shortly after moving here and my love affair continues to this day.  A rich, savoury curry stuffed into a dhal puri (lentil, split pea or chickpea) roti skin?  Yes please!

Around here you can find them in almost every variety, from the traditional (goat, chicken, beef, shrimp or chickpea) to the not-so-traditional (tofu, spinach and squash, etc.).  Some are super spicy, some not at all.  But that's what's so awesome, they are pretty easy to make, AND can be customized to your liking.

Now, if you are super ambitious, you can make your own roti skin, or, if you live in Toronto, you can purchase some authentic ones at any of the Caribbean grocery stores around town.  Or, if you are lazy, like me, just use a whole grain wrap or tortilla as your skin.

This recipe does not have to be followed to the letter.  Sub your own favorite protein and veggie choices, and season to taste.  Chickpea just happens to be my favorite and I used what veggies I had available.  This is one of the few vegan recipes I make that Adam also adores, so that definitely makes it a winner in my book!

Aside from the veggies I have here, other good ones include potato, sweet potato, squash, spinach, kale., etc.  Protein suggestions are: Beef, chicken, shrimp, lentils, tofu, tempeh, etc.

Caribbean-Style Veggie Roti

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbls fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cabbage, thinly sliced
1-2 tbls Madras curry powder (mild or spicy)
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Caribbean Scotch Bonnet hot sauce, to taste (optional)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup coconut milk powder
1 pint Brussels sprouts, halved and roasted
2 tbls coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

4-6 large tortillas or roti skins

Saute chickpeas, garlic, ginger, onion and all the veggies except sprouts (unless your sprouts are raw, rather than roasted) along with the seasonings in the vinegar until they soften.  Add coconut milk powder and turn heat to low.  Check seasoning.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add roasted sprouts, if using, and coconut flour to thicken up gravy.  Adjust seasoning as needed.  Take desired amount of filling and place in the centre of skin or tortilla, fold in all 4 sides over filling to form a square.  Flip over onto plate and spoon more filling over top, if desired.  Serves 4-6.  Leftover filling may be frozen.

This recipe was submitted to Diet, Dessert & Dogs' Wellness Weekend.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Japanese 7-Spice Kelp Noodles

I love trying new spices and seasonings, so I am very excited that the President's Choice Black Label line now has a bunch of new spice blends available.  My most recent find: Shichimi Togarashi, or Japanese 7-Spice blend. It's a combination of crushed red chili flakes, sea salt, Szechiuan peppercorns, black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, orange zest, wasabi powder and nori seaweed flakes. I make Japanese-inspired dishes all the time, but resort to the same old flavours most of the time: miso, soy, sesame, ginger and garlic.  I was so excited to be able to liven things up a bit. This dish is easy and tasty, although be warned that this seasoning packs punch.  I used 1 tsp, which ended up being too spicy for me, and I have a high tolerance for heat!  I recommend 1/4-1/2 tsp, or, if you don't like heat at all, make your own at home and omit the red chili flakes.  You'll get all the flavour without the heat. I served these noodles with a mix of seafood (

Blackfly Coolers: Product Review

Summer is over! Well, at least if you're a student. Officially it doesn't end for a few weeks, and it certainly still feels like summer. Yeah, I hate it. This f*cking hot, humid weather needs to end NOW! We made the most of our last weekend of the summer with our annual trip to the CNE on Friday, with a crowd of friends. It wasn't unbearably lot, thank goodness, and the girls and their friends had a blast on the rides.  Saturday I had to work, and Sunday was errand day. Monday we took the girls berry/apple/pear picking but didn't last long due to the heat. I organized the house to prepare for the construction workers starting back up yesterday, while Adam took the girls for a swim in our neighbourhood pool. Yesterday was the first day of school. Grade 2 and Grade 5. Yep, the girls are growing up.  We are fortunate that the girls don't have much anxiety about school, they are so much more confident than I ever was as a kid! But now, in the midst of our reno ch

How to Look Like a Celebrity

Okay, I know you're going to be interested in this post! I am sure virtually every woman in North America has wondered how Hollywood celebrities achieve such 'perfect' bodies.  Well, at CAN FIT PRO last week, one of Hollywood's top fitness trainers, Eric the Trainer , was there to tell us fitness professionals the secrets! Eric the Trainer, gave several presentations, and I caught the one on Celebrity Secrets, and it was most interesting!!!  I also found some of what he said rather disturbing. First off, he was very upfront about the fact that celebrities come to him for improve their appearance.  Not to improve their health or athletic performance.  To look their best.  He admitted that his approach then, is entirely dedicated to that end. Male and female celebrities are trained in completely different ways because Hollywood wants women to be lithe and thin and in his words, "look like they dropped out of heaven looking this way without every having ste