D is For Dinner: Caribbean Cruiser food truck’s chicken roti
Summer might officially be over but the Caribbean Cruiser food truck serves up tastes of the south in a parking lot just off Merivale Road all year round.
Head chef Julian Goodluck is sharing his recipe for chicken roti on D is For dinner, the weekly food segment on CBC Radio’s All In A Day.
You can also sample the Caribbean fare this weekend at the third annual Ottawa Food Truck Rally taking place in New Edinburgh. More than 15 trucks will serve up food from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Dhalpurie roti wraps
Ingredients, part 1
- 1 cup split peas.
- 2 tsp ground cumin.
- 2 tsp salt.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced.
- 1/2 tsp turmeric (or 1/4 tsp).
Instructions, part 1
Boil split peas and turmeric for 25 minutes until cooked but not mushy. Drain well by spreading out on paper towels (will stain tea towel). Purée in food processor with salt, cumin, and garlic.
Ingredients, part 2
- 4 cups all-purpose flour.
- 1/4 cup butter.
- 2 tsp baking powder.
Mix flour and baking powder. Cut in butter. Add enough water to make dough. Cover and sit for a bit to make it more workable.
Take a bit of dough and make into a ball. Using fingers and thumbs, work it so that it hollows into a little bowl in your palm. Fill with split peas as full as possible but not so full that the split peas will start falling out when you try to close it. Pinch it shut.
If you are experienced, you can then cook it while you are making and rolling the next one. Or, you can make all the filled balls before starting to cook. There may be leftover split pea filling depending how much filling you put in.
Cooking
Preheat griddle on medium heat. On a floured surface, roll out a roti as thin as possible but without having any tears.
Brush griddle with oil. It should be hot. Put roti on and then brush edges with oil. After a few seconds (when there are nice marks on the cooking side), flip over. If there are holes, cover them with the flipper to prevent air from escaping. If the stars are aligned, the roti will puff up. Remove and stack.
Brush more oil on griddle and repeat. While you are cooking one, you roll out the next one.
Caribbean Chicken Curry (filling for roti)
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg chicken, chopped in small pieces (remove skin)
- 2 tbsp lime juice (for washing chicken)
- 3 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 6 tbsp curry Powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, not powder (optional)
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp West Indian hot pepper sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
- 1 large cooking onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (de-seeded)
- 1 tsp Caribbean curry
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Maggi sauce
- 3 cups water
- 2 medium potatoes, cut in 6 pieces each
Instructions
Cut chicken into serving pieces (not too small) and remove and discard skin. Pour lemon juice over chicken. Wash in cold water, drain well and dry with paper towel.
Season chicken with 2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp of curry powder, 3/4 tsp black pepper and chopped garlic. Put chicken in fridge for 1 hour to absorb spices.
Add cooking oil to saucepan and heat on high. Sauté cumin seeds for 30 seconds, then add chopped onion, and green and red bell peppers.
Add thyme, pepper sauce, 3 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp salt and tomato ketchup. Sauté onion and peppers until just tender.
Add 1 cup of boiling water. When sauce is boiling, add chicken. Fold in chicken until it is well covered with sauce and seasonings. Add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Cover and bring to a rolling boil.
Lower heat to medium, add potatoes and 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer (slow boil) until chicken is tender and sauce thickens (about 30 minutes).
Taste and adjust with salt, if needed.
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