Coconut Flat Bread

I decided to make some coconut flat bread or pol roti  for my dinner, last night.  When I was growing up, we used to make these with freshly grated coconut.  These days, I use frozen grated coconut.  I have made them with unsweetened desiccated coconut, as well (after reconstituting with some water).   Since there's only me and I didn't want a lot of leftovers, I decided to make only a few, using approximately half a cup of flour.  I used all-purpose flour.

Ingredients: Flour and Coconut

I didn't want to thaw the whole packet of coconut, so I just broke off some of it (maybe 1/4 cup) and thawed that portion in the microwave.  I added a little salt (about 1/2 tsp.) to the flour and mixed in the thawed, grated coconut:

Flour, Salt and Coconut

Then, I sprinkled a little water into the flour and coconut mixture and mixed everything until it formed a soft dough:

Roti Dough

One needs to add the water, a little at a time.  The dough should be soft, but not too wet and sticky or dry and crumbly.  If too sticky, add a little more flour; if too dry, add a little more water.  The final dough shouldn't stick to the fingers.

I divided the dough into three small balls and flattened out each ball between my palms, pressing with my fingers to make a round, approximately 1/4 inch thick.  One can also roll them out using a rolling pin and that's what I do when I make a whole bunch of them (with about 1 lb. coconut and 3-4 cups of flour).  Then, I heated an old saute pan I keep for the purpose, over medium heat, and added just a little bit of oil to prevent the dough from sticking.  Then, laid the rounds of dough in the pan to cook:

Roti Dough Being Cooked

After about 4-5 minutes, I turned them over with a spatula to cook on the other side:

The First Side is Done

I cooked the other side for another 4-5 minutes:

Second Side is Done

How long it takes for them to cook depends on how thick the flat breads are, how high the heat, how browned you want them to be, etc.  The outside is rather crispy, but the inside is soft and chewy (but not raw!).

I  had the coconut flat bread with some chicken curry (from the freezer) and a spoon of a relish called katta sambol:

A Jar of Katta Sambol

I used a commercially made katta sambol from a jar, but basically, it is a mixture of dried red chili, onions, pieces of Maldive fish (a type of cured tuna, used as a condiment in our cooking), salt and lime juice, all mixed together; a type of spicy onion relish.

Dinner: Pol Roti, Chicken Curry, Katta Sambol

I could eat only one coconut flat bread; I kept the other two in the fridge and had one for tonight's dinner.  I'll probably have the other one for tomorrow's breakfast.  When I told my daughter I made pol roti, she wanted some, too!  I guess I'll have to make some when she's home, next.  Fresh blueberries for dessert.

This type of plain coconut flat bread is usually served either for dinner or breakfast, with curries, katta sambol, or other condiments.  As a child, I used to eat them spread with butter and jam.  Sometimes, we add chili, curry leaves, Maldive fish, onions, etc. to the dough to make what is known as "savory" roti, which are often eaten as a snack at tea time.  

Have you had coconut flat bread?  Do you think you might try making some?