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Guyanese roti is a popular flatbread in India and parts of the Caribbean, served alongside bold and flavorful dishes. Enjoy this hot and flaky flatbread with curries, meat stews, or slathered in butter! All you need is a hot skillet and a handful of simple ingredients.
Guyanese oil roti is one of my favorite sides for chutney, stir-fries, and curry. Flour, baking powder, salt, water, and oil are kneaded together to create a soft dough. The dough is then rolled out and cooked in a hot skillet to create flaky layers.
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Guyana is a country in South America where roti is a popular staple served with any type of meat or stew. It's popular in other Caribbean countries like Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, and Jamaica, but it originated in South Asia. It goes by different names with slight variations such as paratha roti and sada roti.
Guyanese roti and curry is a wildly popular combo, and for good reason! The rich and fragrant taste of curry powder complements the mild taste of the paratha. It's the perfect vehicle to sop up all the leftover sauce! While this paratha roti recipe requires many steps, they are all very simple!
👩🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Authentic recipe
- Simple recipe made with pantry staples
- Use it to sop up sauce
- Delicious roti, Guyanese style!
- Made with only 5 ingredients
- Best roti to make at home
- Easy to follow recipe
🥘 Guyanese Roti Ingredients
This easy Guyanese oil roti requires only five pantry staples! Find the full list of ingredients and nutrition facts at the bottom of this post within the recipe card.
All-Purpose Flour: The base of this Guyanese roti recipe is all-purpose flour. Feel free to replace 3/4 cup with whole wheat flour for a nutty flavor and more fiber.
Baking Powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that creates carbon dioxide bubbles. This causes the air pockets and bubbles once it hits the hot pan.
Salt: Bread is bland without a small amount of salt! Don't leave it out.
Warm Water: Water moistens the flour to create the roti dough.
Oil: Oil creates a soft roti that's not stiff or dry. Use a neutral flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil, or ghee works great too.
📖 Variations
- Gluten-Free Roti: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. My favorite brand is Bob's Red Mill 1:1 All-Purpose Flour in the blue bag.
- Guyanese Oil Roti With Yeast: While yeast isn't a traditional ingredient, it ensures the paratha stays soft and flaky. Add 1/4 teaspoon of rapid rise yeast to the dry ingredients then follow the recipe as directed.
🔪 How To Make Guyanese Roti
Here's how to make the best paratha oil roti dough!
Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Make Dough: Add enough water to create a sticky dough. Use a rubber spatula or your bare hands to combine the mixture. Add more water if the dough is dry.
Knead Dough: Sprinkle flour onto your work surface and place the soft dough on it. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
Let Dough Rest: Cover with a damp paper towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Cut Dough: Cut the dough into 5 equal pieces.
Roll Dough: On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll one of the small balls into a thin, flat circle.
Brush With Oil: Brush a thin layer of oil over the top of the dough.
Cut the dough: Use a sharp knife to cut the dough from the center to the edge.
Form Cone & Repeat: Roll the dough into a cone shape by tucking the edges into the center. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
Let Dough Rest: Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest again for 30 minutes.
Roll Dough Again: Preheat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle work surface with extra flour and roll one of the dough balls into 1/8 inch thickness.
Cook Roti: Cook the roti on the hot frying pan until small air pockets form, about 30 seconds. You should see light brown spots forming too.
Flip Roti: Carefully turn the hot roti over and brush with oil. Cook for another 30 seconds then flip it over one more time. Lightly brush the top with oil as it cooks for 30 more seconds.
Clap The Roti: Remove the Guyana roti from the heat and place in a container with a lid. Shake for a minute or so to loosen the layers.
Serve Warm: Enjoy warm with your favorite curry dish!
❓ Recipe FAQs
What does it mean to clap the roti?
Clapping is a Guyanese term that means to throw the roti into the air and clap it with the palms of your hands. It's intended to release any air bubbles and create a flaky roti!
Do I need yeast for making roti?
No, Guyanese style roti isn't traditionally made with yeast. It's an optional ingredient that ensures the paratha comes out soft and flaky, especially if it's your first time making it.
What's the best pan for cooking Guyanese roti?
Traditionally Guyanese paratha (oil) roti is cooked on a tawa, a large round cast iron pan. If you don't have a tawa, a large cast-iron skillet or crepe pan work great too.
What type of fat should I use for Guyanese style roti?
Any neutral flavored fat works great. I recommend canola oil, vegetable oil, or ghee, a clarified butter with a nutty, caramelized flavor.
💭 Expert Tips
- Be sure to let the dough rest. If the dough is difficult to roll out or springs back, it needs to rest longer.
- Prepare the dough up to 3 days ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to use. Let the dough come to room temperature, then cook as directed.
- Store cooked paratha wrapped in a clean towel inside a zip-top bag for up to 4 days.
- Reheat Guyana roti in the microwave in 10-second increments until just warm.
- The flour to water ratio is vital to a perfect roti. The dough should be sticky and not dry, but easy to handle.
