Herbed Roti with Saute Bok Choy&Shrimp

Herbed Roti with Sauté Bok Choy & Shrimp

Ingredients:

For Roti:

• 4 cups all purpose flour + additional for dusting

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups room temperature water

For Sauté Bok Choy:

• 1 1/4 lb. baby bok choy

• 1 lb. small to medium sized shrimp

• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced or chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tbsp cilantro or parsley, chopped

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 plum tomatoes, diced

• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix in herbs.

2. Slowly drizzle oil over flour. Add water to flour mix in small amounts. As dough forms, gather in a ball. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a bowl dusted lightly with flour. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

3. Rinse and dry bok choy, white parts also. Chop, place in a bowl and set aside.

4. Peel and de-vein shrimp. Rinse, dry and set aside.

5. In a large pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium heat. Sauté onion for 3 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more. Add shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size, until cooked through. Add salt and cilantro and cook 1 minute more. Place shrimp in a bowl and keep warm.

6. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil in wok on medium high heat. Add chopped boy choy to hot oil and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Bok Choy will reduce in amount as it wilts. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, add shrimp mix and stir to combine. Cover and keep warm.

7. Heat a rimless pan (Tawa, cast iron crepe pan or any flat pan) on medium heat.

8. Shape dough into a log about 16 inches long. Cut or tear dough into 8 equal portions.

9. Roll each portion of dough into a ball. Coat one ball lightly with flour, gently flatten on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll dough into a 5- to 6-inch diameter.

10. Brush pan with a bit of oil. Place rolled out dough on hot pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes (pockets will start to appear on the top). Flip roti over and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Roti will puff up in microwave.

11. Place cooked roti in a tea towel as you continue cooking the rest of the roti.

12. Serve roti with Sauté Bok Choy.

Serves: 4 to 6

Notes&Tips:

• This type of main dish comes by way of the Caribbean. In Caribbean countries where you have East Indian immigrants, they would use different types of roti and consume it with either vegetables, meat or a mix of vegetables and meat. It can be served either for lunch or dinner.

• I decided to incorporate herbs into my roti, as I wanted to add variety to the food I serve my family. I find different ways to make the meal interesting and as a starting point for the many conversations we share at the dinner table.

• These baby bok choy I harvested from my garden. I picked it with an inch or two of the white part. Because the leaves are young they cook up rather quickly. If you don't have young bok choy, use the regular bok choy, they will need a few more minutes of cooking.

• To make this dish vegetarian, omit the shrimp. If you're not a seafood lover, substitute diced chicken breast or ground beef for the shrimp.

• The dough can be kneaded in an electric mixer with dough attachment instead of by hand.

• Generally, after the initial browning of this Herbed Roti on the pan, it is supposed to be placed over direct flame, like on a gas range, for the final cooking. Since I do not have a gas range, I finish the cooking in the microwave. This method does not change the taste or appearance of the roti and it is quicker.

• Brushing the pan with oil before cooking the roti, prevents it from sticking, especially if using a cast iron pan. If using a non-stick pan, eliminate brushing with oil.

• To eat Herbed Roti with Sauté Bok Choy & Shrimp, simple tear of a bite size piece of roti and pick up some of the vegetable mix with the piece of roti. Another method is to place desired amount of vegetable mix in the roti and eat like you would a wrap. A third way to eat it is to cut the roti in two and fill the vegetable mix in the pocket (like you would a pita pocket) and eat it that way.