Easy Roti Recipe - Sri Lankan Coconut Roti

This easy Sri Lankan Coconut Roti Recipe can be whipped up with only 3 ingredients. You can eat it with curry, soup or even jam!

During the last days, my mind is traveling back to Sri Lanka and I remember so many good things about this beautiful place. Endless beaches, wild elephants, colorful markets, and friendly people come to mind. This island offers it all and was just perfect for my first long-distance trip. The most impressive experience was certainly the romantic and almost surreal train ride to Nuwara Eliya in the central highlands. The foggy tea plantations had something mystical and were such a contrast to the turbulent street life in Colombo.

Our journey continued in Kandy, a place with a lot of charm, beautiful temples, and colorful markets. When thinking of Kandy, I also remember our accommodation. A higher located, friendly house, which was surrounded by green trees and which had a captivating view of the city. I still remember all the monkeys climbing over the nearby power lines and the lovely couple, who hosted us. They cooked roti for us and it was the first time I’ve ever tried it. Our hosts served us this homemade coconut flatbread with fruits and jam for breakfast. So delicious!

Since then I make roti regularly at home. Especially when my wanderlust seems unbearable. Although the ingredients and the preparation are so simple, the great coconut flavor makes this a roti very special.

What is Roti?

Roti describes a type of flatbread made from flour and water and is eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or in between. It is eaten with curry, salad or even jam. Roti differs depending on the region. In India, Roti (Roti Chapati) is a flatbread made from flour and water, which is prepared very thin and fluffy. In Sri Lanka, on the other hand, roti (pol roti) is characterized by the addition of desiccated coconut. In addition, the roti from Sri Lanka is much thicker and harder. You can eat it savory or sweet.

I love to eat roti with homemade jam made of frozen berries and date paste. Sooo good!

What ingredients do you need for the roti recipe?

Flour: I used simple all-purpose flour for my roti. You can also use bread flour. If the dough gets too thick with bread flour, just add a little more water.
Desiccated coconut: Typical roti is made with fresh coconut. But that’s a bit difficult in Germany. Therefore you can also use simple desiccated coconut from the supermarket.
Salt: To give the dough a little more flavor, I add a pinch of salt. When you make it salty, you can add even more salt.
Brown sugar (optional): Since I usually eat the coconut roti sweet with jam, I sometimes add brown raw cane sugar to add a little more sweetness to the dough. But it doesn’t have to be.
Water: simple water to add liquid to the dough.

How to make Roti?

Roti is super easy to prepare. All ingredients are kneaded into an even dough. Since no yeast is used for the dough, the dough does not have to rise but can be processed directly. You can divide the dough into 6-8 equal pieces. These are then rolled out on a floured work surface into 0.5 cm thick flatbreads (I sometimes do this directly with my hands). The roti is then fried in a non-stick pan with a little coconut oil until they are golden brown.