A recipe for Bajan Chicken and Potato Roti! Pieces of chicken and potato are simmered in a spiced curry mixture until tender and served in a flaky roti skin.
If you are looking for street food in Barbados, a popular one is the Chicken and Potato Roti. Homemade roti skins (influenced from the Indian roti) are filled with a spiced, diced chicken and potato mixture, then folded so it can be more easily eaten by hand.
Other meats may be used like beef and the potato is optional- but it helps reduce the amount of meat needed. Variations can also be found in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and other islands.
If available use a scotch bonnet pepper. They can be located in some areas featuring Caribbean ingredients and have a rating of 100,000–350,000 Scoville units. I have yet to come across one so I used a habanero pepper. They are similar in shape, but the scotch bonnet has a slightly sweet, more fruity flavor. Make sure to use the scotch bonnet/habanero whole. Cutting it will add too much heat.
This recipe makes a few extra roti skins. The kids always end up stealing one or two while they are still warm. If you want the exact amount of roti for the filling, divide the flour and butter in half for 6 roti skins. I added butter to the dough, but shortening or oil are also common. Heat the roti just until they develop little brown spots. Don’t cook them so long that they become crisp. They need to keep that soft, flakey texture for wrapping and adding the amazing contrast in texture.
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Bajan Chicken and Potato Roti Recipe
Adapted from Totally Barbados
Bajan Chicken and Potato Roti
Ingredients
Roti Skin:
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- Water
Chicken and Potato Filling:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced into about 3/4 inch cubes
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 14 ounces potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
To make the Roti Skin:
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Mix in the softened butter to create a coarse texture and slowly add water until a soft dough comes together.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth. Cover with a towel and allow to rest while the filling is simmering.
To make the filling:
- In a large, deep pan with a lid, drizzle the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides.
- Stir in the onions, garlic, curry powder, thyme, salt, pepper, and the whole scotch bonnet pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Rinse and drain the potatoes to remove any excess starch and stir into the chicken mixture. Pour in the 1 cup boiling water, cover, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes. Add a little more water if there isn't enough. Remove and discard the scotch bonnet before serving.
To assemble:
- Place a large, flat pan over medium heat. Lightly grease with clarified butter or oil. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a thin circle about 6 inches wide.
- Add a thin circle to the heated pan and cook until beginning to puff, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side just until beginning to form brown spots, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat with remaining roti, greasing as needed. Cover the cooked roti skins with a towel to keep warm while the rest are cooking.
- To serve, fill the center of a warm roti with the prepared filling. Fold the top and bottom over the filling to cover, then fold in the ends to close. Flip over so the smooth part is on top and serve immediately.
Platter Talk
This looks like a perfect lunch with a nice “kick”.
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy
This is just absolutely cool! I make rotis almost every other day, and next time I’m gonna try stuffing them like you’ve done! Thanks so much for the neat idea!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I will literally eat anything with scotch bonnet peppers — the only issue is that the peppers we can get here in the states are different from the scotch bonnets they have in the islands. That’s why I bring back the jarred versions when we visit…
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
I don’t think I’ve ever tried a true scotch bonnet (I just can’t find them)! But I’d make these in a heartbeat anyway, love the sound of that filling.
Brandi Crawford
I have yet to try scotch bonnet peppers. This recipe makes me want to change that right NOW! I love this.
Joanna
I’m confused – the recipe says “makes 4-5″ but under the ‘prepare the roti while the potatoes are simmering” part it says “divide dough into 12 pieces. Is the recipe for 5 or 12?
Tara
Hi Joanna! I mention this above the recipe: This recipe makes a few extra roti skins. The kids always end up stealing one or two while they are still warm. If you want the exact amount of roti for the filling, divide the flour and butter in half for 6 roti skins.
Christopher Krasniuk
We were recently in Barbados and absolutely loved Roti’s, so of course I want to continue making them at home in the states. I found this recipe and it’s super easy to follow, but I tried it with out the hot pepper… I believe this led to my failure. It smelled great cooking, but seemed very bland in flavor when we ate. Even adding extra curry didn’t fix the issue. Does the pepper add flavor, heat or both to the meal? I’m going to keep trying this until I get it right, so thought I’d ask.
Tara
Hi Christopher! The pepper adds heat along with a fruity, almost sweet flavor. Hope this helps!
Susan
Hi Everyone –
I lived in Barbados for years and this is a great recipe for roti filling (I buy the skins pre-made). I added a chicken OXO cube and a few bay leaves (remove after cooking) with the potatoes and yes the scotch bonnet pepper adds a nice flavour (luckily in Canada they sell them at my local grocery store!).
The only thing that I will add is that it needs more water than 1 cup to cook the potatoes properly, and once they are cooked and soft, mash them slightly in the curry to get the perfect texture for a roti (you don’t want the roti filling to be runny).
Thanks for the recipe Tara!.
Tara
Thank you so much for the tips Susan!
Clara
Been to Barbados several times and love the rotis there. This recipe is the closest thing I could find and it’s delicious! I use between .5 and 1 tsp salt and throw in 2 cups of water with the potatoes, which I them let simmer until soft. Scotch bonnets definitely makes the filling taste authentic. Thanks!