Coming full circle

It is ironic that in this week's column the topic is about my love for rice but my blog post is about something made with flour. (You'll understand the irony when you read the column.) This post is about something that my mom used to make for us all the time but I never liked as a child. Fast forward years later, and this turns out to be one of those things I get a craving for every now and then, besides, it's so easy to make.


In her musings on roti, last week, Chennette mentioned that her grand mother would usually make an egg roti for her mom "... was really like a pancake, with nutmeg and cinnamon etc." Her mom's egg roti reminded me of the sweet roti my mom used to make for us which was similar, like a pancake also. Mom calls it chotah (not sure of the spelling). It is made with flour, an egg, cinnamon, sugar and water. The sweet roti or chotah is soft and light. I like mine hot with a dab of butter that melts. With a cup of tea, this is such a filling treat. See recipe below.

Sweet Roti

Yields 6

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp sugar (you can put 3 if you like)
• A pinch of salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• Enough water to form batter (some people use milk instead of water)

Method

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Make a well in the center and stir in lightly beaten egg and enough water to form a batter - pouring consistency (but not watery).

If you are using a tawah, you will need to lightly rub the surface with some vegetable oil.

• Heat the tawah or pan to medium.
• Using a ladle, dip some of the batter and pour in the middle of the pan. Using the bottom of the ladle, gently spread the batter to form a circle. When the surface is covered with bubbles, it is time to turn the roti, using a spatula.
• As you flip the roti, it may end up to the side of the pan - leave it, don't try to move it, it will cook just fine. You can gently press the edges if you like.
• Within a minute, the other side should be cooked.
• Remove and repeat the process until the batter is finished.