Roti with Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, Eggplant Puree, and Carrot Curry Puree

You’ll find roti in Queens, Barbados, South Africa, and South Asia. I still remember going back to the Caribbean for a wedding and tucking into a chickpea roti with braised beef. The fact that it exists in nearly every location along the British slave trade route speaks volumes both about the frightening breadth of the industry and the resilience of the people involved who still managed to eke out innovation between the tragedies. Everybody does their roti differently. In Barbados, it’s super thin like a crêpe. Ours is a little thicker with layers, more like a classic Indian roti or what you might find in Trinidad. As far as breads, roti is a very forgiving bread to make. You just roll it out, put it in a pan with butter or oil, and cook it until it’s nice and golden on each side. With the roti, you can serve three of our favorite dipping sauces. The sauce recipes you see here are the result of a dipping sauce battle with two of The Cecil’s sous chefs, Jessica and Tiffany, who later became chef de cuisine. These three were our final winners. If you’ve never challenged your friends to a cook-off, you can start nice and easy by preparing the roti platter and asking your guests to bring their favorite dipping sauce. Winner gets bragging rights! All three of these sauces are easy to cook and will keep for four or five days in the fridge. With the Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, you can get the peas from a can to save time. The Carrot Curry Puree is one of those aromatic dishes that will make your guests hungry before the plate is even in front of them. As a cook, you’ll love the process of toasting the red curry in the pan, which releases an amazing scent. That toasting in the pan is a little tip that can work with any of your favorite spices.

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Step 1

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Gradually add the oil and 1 cup water while mixing and kneading the dough. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Set the dough aside for 45 minutes in a cool spot, covered with a damp kitchen towel.

Step 2

Divide the dough into six equal-sized balls. On a lightly floured surface, flatten each slightly and roll out into 8-inch ovals with a rolling pin.

Step 3

To cook the roti, place 1 teaspoon of the butter in a large cast-iron pan over medium heat until it sizzles but doesn’t brown. Reduce the heat to medium and place one roti in the pan.

Step 4

Cook for 1½ minutes, until the dough is bubbly and the crust is a light golden brown with a few darker brown spots appearing. Turn with a spatula and continue cooking for an additional 1 minute, or until the roti is puffy and browned in spots. Repeat the process with the remaining rotis. Serve immediately, with the hummus and eggplant and carrot purees.

Step 5

Puree the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, then add the black-eyed peas. Pulse until chopped coarsely, scraping down the side of the bowl with a flexible spatula. Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt and blend the mixture while slowly adding the oil, until semi-smooth and thick.

Step 6

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 7

Preheat the broiler to high. Split the eggplants in half lengthwise, sprinkle with salt, and brush with the oil. Place the eggplants flesh side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil for 25 minutes, turning halfway through. The eggplants should have charred and blistered skin and completely soft and caramelized flesh.

Step 8

Remove from the broiler and let cool slightly. Peel off skin from two of the eggplant halves, keeping the others with skin.

Step 9

Roughly chop the grilled eggplant and blend in a food processor with the dates and lemon zest until completely smooth.

Step 10

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 11

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Step 12

On a baking sheet, toss the carrots and garlic cloves with the oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer and roast until tender and starting to brown, about 30 minutes, turning to cook evenly. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Step 13

Once the carrots and garlic have cooled to room temperature, put them in the bowl of a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust the spices as necessary.