Surinamese roti with chicken masala
Roti is one of those dishes that takes a little time, but it is more than worth the effort. You get a soft, layered flatbread that you tear into pieces and use to scoop up everything else. It comes with chicken stewed in a fragrant masala sauce, with potato and long beans that soak up all that flavour. The whole meal is hearty, full of flavour and honest cooking, nothing fussy, just properly good food. Add a boiled egg and some fresh pickled cucumber and it is complete. Roti is eaten with your hands, which immediately makes the meal feel more sociable. Surinamese roti with chicken masala takes time and uses a fair few pans, but what reaches the table is genuinely special. If you enjoy savoury, warmly spiced food, this is well worth making.
Equipment
1 casserole with a lid
1 saucepan for the eggs
Servings people
Ingredients
Chicken masala
- 700 g chicken thighs (boneless and skinless, cut into large pieces)
- 600 g waxy potatoes
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp Surinamese masala
- 1 tsp cumin powder (ground)
- 1 tsp coriander powder (ground)
- 0.5 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 350 ml chicken broth
- 1 madame Jeanette chilli (leave whole)
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- salt
Long beans and eggs
- 350 g long beans
- 4 eggs (medium)
Pickled cucumber
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red onion (small)
- 100 ml white vinegar
- 75 ml water
- 35 g sugar
- 4 allspice berries
To serve
- 4 roti flatbreads
Instructions
Preparation
- Peel 600 g waxy potatoes and cut into roughly 3 cm chunks. Finely chop 1 yellow onion and 3 cloves garlic. Trim 350 g long beans and cut them into 4 cm lengths.
- Cut 1 cucumber into thin half-moons and 1 red onion into very thin rings. Heat 100 ml white vinegar with 75 ml water, 35 g sugar and 4 allspice berries until the sugar dissolves. Pour the warm pickle over the cucumber and leave for at least thirty minutes.
- Boil 4 eggs for eight minutes. Cool under running water and peel.
Method
- Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in the casserole. Brown 700 g chicken thighs all over, then lift them out temporarily.
- Fry the yellow onion over a medium heat for five minutes. Add the garlic, 3 tbsp Surinamese masala, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 0.5 tsp turmeric powder and 2 tbsp tomato purée. Cook for two minutes until fragrant and the tomato darkens.
- Return the chicken to the casserole and add the potatoes. Pour in 350 ml chicken broth and place 1 madame Jeanette chilli on top. Simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes with the lid ajar. Stir carefully and keep the chilli intact.
- Add the long beans after twenty minutes and cook them for the final 10 to 15 minutes. Put the peeled eggs in the sauce and turn them a few times so they take on the yellow colour. Season at the end with salt.
To serve
- Warm 4 roti flatbreads briefly in a dry frying pan or according to the packet. Remove the chilli from the sauce. Serve the chicken masala with potatoes, beans and egg, with the roti and drained pickled cucumber alongside.
Notes
Leave the Madame Jeanette chilli whole while the dish cooks for its fruity fragrance without overwhelming heat. Anyone wanting more fire can mash a tiny piece into their own serving. The pickled cucumber can easily be made a day ahead.
Nutrition
Calories: 843kcalCarbohydrates: 87.7gProtein: 55.4gFat: 31.4gSaturated fat: 6.8gCholesterol: 338mgSugars: 17.5g
Tried this recipe?Let me know what you think!
It tastes better by hand
my choice
this week
Surinamese roti with chicken masala belongs on a big platter in the middle of the table. Tear off warm roti, scoop up spiced chicken, soft potato and long beans, then add sharp pickled cucumber. Everyone eats at their own pace and builds each mouthful differently.
