Pol roti is the Sinhala name for Sri Lankan coconut roti. Pol means coconut, and the bread is made from wheat flour and grated coconut, often with red onion, green chilli and curry leaves.

How much coconut goes into coconut roti?

Almost as much as the flour. This recipe uses 300 g plain flour and 200 g freshly grated coconut for 8 roti.

Can I use desiccated coconut?

Yes. Soak 120 g desiccated coconut in 80 ml warm water or coconut milk for 10 minutes before mixing, so the roti is not dry and crumbly.

How long do you cook each roti?

About 2 to 3 minutes on each side on a lightly oiled pan over a medium heat, until both sides have brown spots and the centre is cooked.

Is coconut roti vegan?

Yes, if you use coconut oil instead of butter. The rest of the recipe is flour, coconut, vegetables, salt and water.

Sri Lankan Coconut Roti (Pol Roti) Recipe

Name: Coconut Roti (Pol Roti)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8 roti
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 300 g plain (all-purpose) flour, about 2 1/3 cups; 200 g freshly grated coconut, about 2 cups (or 120 g desiccated coconut soaked in 80 ml warm water); 1 tsp salt; 1 small red onion, finely chopped; 1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped; 1 sprig curry leaves, finely sliced; 1 tbsp softened butter or coconut oil (optional); About 120 ml water, added gradually; 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil, for shaping and cooking

Coconut roti, pol roti (පොල් රොටි) in Sinhala, is a thick, rustic flatbread made from wheat flour and a generous amount of grated coconut, often with chopped red onion, green chilli and curry leaves worked into the dough. It is cooked on a flat pan until spotted brown on both sides and eaten warm, most often for breakfast or an evening meal, with a sambol or a curry and a cup of Ceylon tea.

It needs no yeast, no fermentation and no special equipment, which is why it is one of the quickest breads in the Sri Lankan kitchen. The coconut is what makes it: there is almost as much coconut as flour, so the roti is moist and slightly chewy, with a gentle sweetness that works well against a fiery relish.

How to make Sri Lankan coconut roti

Makes 8 roti (serves 4)
Prep: 15 minutes (+ 15 minutes resting)
Cook: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

300 g plain (all-purpose) flour, about 2 1/3 cups
200 g freshly grated coconut, about 2 cups (or 120 g desiccated coconut soaked in 80 ml warm water)
1 tsp salt
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 sprig curry leaves, finely sliced
1 tbsp softened butter or coconut oil (optional)
About 120 ml water, added gradually
1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil, for shaping and cooking

Method

Mix the coconut. In a large bowl, rub the grated coconut with the salt, onion, green chilli, curry leaves and butter, if using, squeezing lightly so the onion releases some juice.
Add the flour. Tip in the flour and mix it through the coconut with your fingers until evenly combined.
Bring the dough together. Add the water a little at a time, pressing the mixture together rather than kneading, until you have a soft, pliable dough that no longer sticks to the bowl. The amount of water depends on how moist the coconut is.
Rest. Cover the bowl and leave the dough for 15 minutes so the flour can absorb the moisture.
Shape. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Oil your palms and a board or a piece of banana leaf, then pat each ball out into a round about 12 cm across and 5 mm thick.
Heat the pan. Heat a flat griddle, tawa or cast-iron frying pan over a medium heat and brush it lightly with oil.
Cook. Cook the roti two or three at a time for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until both sides have golden-brown to dark brown spots and the centre is cooked through.
Keep warm. Stack the cooked roti under a clean cloth while you cook the rest, and serve warm.

Fresh or desiccated coconut?

Freshly grated coconut, scraped from the mature nut of the coconut palm, gives the softest, most fragrant roti and is what Sri Lankan cooks use at home. Frozen grated coconut, thawed, is the next best choice. Desiccated coconut works too, but it is dry, so soak it in warm water or coconut milk for 10 minutes before mixing, as in the ingredient list, or the roti will be crumbly.

What do you eat with coconut roti?

Lunu miris, the red onion, chilli and lime relish, is the classic partner.
Pol sambol or seeni sambol for a lighter meal.
A curry: dhal curry, potato curry, chicken curry, pork curry or a fish curry.

Many people also eat it simply with butter, or split and filled with sambol like a sandwich.

How is it different from other Sri Lankan roti?

Pol roti is the thick, coconut-rich roti. Godamba roti, by contrast, is made from a soft, oiled wheat dough stretched paper-thin and folded, and it is the roti that is chopped on the griddle to make kottu roti. Both are quite different from the rice-based breakfast foods such as string hoppers and hoppers, which need a press or a special pan.

Variations

Plain. Leave out the onion, chilli and curry leaves for a simple flour, coconut and salt roti.
Spicier. Add a teaspoon of chilli flakes or crushed Ceylon black pepper with the onion.
Richer. Replace some of the water with coconut milk for a softer dough.

How do you store and reheat coconut roti?

Coconut roti is best on the day it is made. Cooled roti keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them on a dry pan over a medium-low heat for about a minute on each side, until soft and warm.