Flaky Roti and Flavorful Chickpeas

I absolutely love roti, my favorite kind being the Southeast Asian variety (such as Malaysian roti canai). According to Wikipedia,”Many different variations of flat breads are found in many cultures across the globe, from South Asia to the Americas. The traditional flat bread originating from the South Asia is known as roti; pronounced “rho tee”. It is normally eaten with cooked vegetables or curries; it can be called a carrier for curries or cooked vegetables.”

One sunny afternoon, after finishing lunch at a Malaysian restaurant on 8th Ave in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn (also known as Brooklyn’s Chinatown), and of course having roti canai as an appetizer, I decided that I had to find an easy way to make roti myself at home! I had tried a package of frozen roti several years ago that was absolutely amazing, so I was on a hunt to find it again. And what better place to look for it than in Brooklyn’s Chinatown.

After walking into one of the many Asian supermarkets in that neighborhood, I found a package of ‘Frozen Green Onion Pie’ in the freezer section.  Based on what I saw on the package, it looked enough like roti to catch my attention. And for only $2.50 for a package of five, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it out.

I’m glad I did! The package included five individually wrapped frozen ‘pies’. I prepared one roti, to eat with some curried chickpeas (recipe below). The roti was super easy to heat up.

Package of frozen green onion pie

Each pie is individually wrapped

There is no need to defrost; just pop it out of the freezer, drop it onto a lightly greased pan, and fry on both sides until it turns a nice, golden brown color (about 7 minutes total). Easy peasy! It tasted almost as good as the roti I’ve had when eating out. The scallions added a very nice flavor.

Chickpeas was THE perfect accompaniment. Curried chickpeas are very easy to make, and once cooked, store well in the fridge for several days. I always prepare them from dried garbanzo beans, but using canned chickpeas is a decent alternative.

Curried Chickpeas Recipe
*There are no measurements in this recipe, because that will all depend on your preference for the level of spice, and the amount of sauce you want with the chickpeas. The secret  to good cooking (and the fun!) is tasting as you go along. So taste initially as you begin cooking, and add more spices as you go along until you are the the right level of boldness, saltiness, and spice for you!*

Ingredients:
1. Cooked chickpeas (either canned, or cooked using the dried peas; follow the directions on the package for cooking the dried peas. Add chopped onions, salt, and a bouillon cube to the cooking water for added flavor)
2. Vegetable or Olive Oil
3. Minced garlic and chopped onions
4. Tomato paste or sauce
5. Red pepper flakes,  paprika powder, curry powder, and salt

Directions:
1. Stir fry minced garlic, chopped onions, and curry powder in a bit of oil until onions begin to turn translucent
2. Add tomato sauce or paste. The amount of tomato sauce/paste you add will depend on how ‘saucy’ you want the chickpeas to be.Add in remaining spices (red pepper flakes, paprika powder, and salt) and stir everything together.
3. Add in the cooked chickpeas, and let everything simmer on medium heat for 15 – 20 minutes.