Recipe: Curry Chicken with Roti

This recipe is a combo of a lot of old versions of chicken curry stew and a few new versions of roti bread.  It’s time intensive, but not particularly difficult.

Ingredients

Curry Chicken:

4 chicken thighs

2 bone-in chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons curry powder

8 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons of ground thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

2 Scotch bonnet peppers, diced

3 scallions, diced

4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 pound of Yukon gold potatoes, cubed

1 14-ounce can of coconut milk

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 packet of Sazon

Roti:

2 ½ cups self-rising flour (or 2 cups self-rising flour plus 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour)

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided, plus extra for the pan

2/3 to 1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, optional

Directions

Curry Chicken

1. Season chicken with cumin, salt and pepper.  In a large blow combine seasoned chicken, onion, scotch bonnet, garlic, thyme, curry, scallions, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and lime juice. Toss well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade (do not discard) and cook in the Dutch oven until browned but not cooked through. Add marinade to the Dutch oven and 2 cups of water. Cook covered, over medium heat, for at least 30 minutes.

3. Add Bell pepper, bouillon, Sazon, coconut milk and potatoes to the Dutch oven.  Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Roti

1. Place flour(s) in a bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil.

2. Add the warm water slowly, stirring as you go, until the dough starts to come together. Keep stirring, adding more water in small amounts, until the dough forms a ball.

3. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead for a few minutes, adding a little flour if it is too sticky. The dough should be soft but not sticky enough to adhere to your hands or the counter.

4. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, covered with a damp cloth.

5. Roll out the dough into a large circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over the surface of the dough. Roll the dough up into a long roll.

6. Slice the log of dough into 8 to 10 pieces. Roll out each piece, cut-side down, into a 6-inch circle. Let the circles rest, covered with a damp cloth, for 5 minutes.

7. Heat a flat, heavy griddle or skillet (a cast-iron skillet or crepe pan works well) over medium-low heat.

8. Roll the first circle of dough out as thin as possible (to about an 8- to 9-inch circle).

9. Add about 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and add a circle of dough. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the bread puffs up and turns light brown on the underside. Slide the roti to the side of the pan and quickly flip to brown the other side, cooking for about 1 to 2 minutes more.

10. Remove from the pan and place roti in a colander to cool. Cover roti with a damp towel while you cook the rest; this will help keep them from becoming hard. Add more oil to the skillet as needed.

11. Brush the finished roti with melted butter before serving.