This week I’m in the process of filling holes in the kitchen walls with patching plaster so it will take time away from my food research, but every once in a while I have to pitch in around here (haha). Our kitchen walls have been cracking for a hundred years and some water damage from a broken radiator upstairs didn’t help. Someday I’ll have my kitchen fixed up nice enough that I don’t have to zoom in on videos in fear of getting ugly kitchen in the background.
I was reading through some recipes online and realized they were spelling broccoli raab like broccoli “rabe” and had a little panic attack that I’ve been misspelling it all along. Turns out you can spell it either way, so I’ll stick to my original raab, but will mention the other spelling here in case anyone is doing a search. The broccoli raab plants survived several sub-freezing nights, although now they’re toast, so I’m going to use some from the freezer.
I froze two cups per bag, so I’m throwing in a couple handfuls of frozen peas as a substitute for the rest. You can substitute any leafy green vegetable for the broccoli raab. This wrap idea is from Good and Cheap and I’m using Leanne’s Roti recipe. Today we have a trifecta of recipes because you really need all three together (although you can buy the bread frozen). I used a quarter-cup measuring cup and scooped it about half full of dough to make each bread. Mix the bread dough, make the sauce and put it in the refrigerator if you didn’t make it ahead, make the filling, then fry the bread and fill. It helps to have a second person filling while you’re rolling and frying bread, but you can keep it warm in the oven and fill it afterward.
Roti (Indian flatbread)
2 C flour
1 t salt
1 C water
Mix together all the ingredients to make a moist dough. Knead until smooth; form into a ball. Cover with a damp paper towel and set aside for 20-60 minutes.
Sprinkle a countertop with flour. Using a large spoon, place about 1/8 cup of dough in the middle. Cover the ball with flour on all sides so that it doesn’t stick to the surface, then gently roll it out until it’s thin and flat (about 1/8″) keeping it floured and unstuck.
Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add the roti and cook until the dough lifts away from the pan around the edges and light brown bubbles form. Flip the bread over and cook the other side. Don’t overcook, as this will make the roti too crunchy to use for rolls.
Roll out one roti while another cooks in the pan.
Raita (cucumber yogurt sauce)
1/2 C grated cucumber
1/2 C plain yogurt
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t paprika
Sprinkle sea salt on grated cucumber; stir and let it sit about 10 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid. Add yogurt, cilantro, cumin, and paprika until well combined. Cover and refrigerate. Can be prepared one day ahead.
Broccoli Raab and Potato Wraps
1 T butter (or substitute)
1/2 C chopped sweet onion
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 T grated ginger
1 t cumin
1 t turmeric
1 t paprika
1/4 t coriander
4 chopped red potatoes (6-8 if they’re real small)
4 C chopped broccoli raab leaves
Put a skillet on medium heat and melt butter. Add the cumin and onion. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, turmeric, paprika, and coriander. Stir in 1 tablespoon of water to make a paste. Add the spices to the onion mixture and mix, cooking for another 2 minutes.
Add the potatoes and stir to coat. Add 1 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes soften; add more water if needed to keep it moist and cooking evenly. Add the broccoli raab and stir until it’s wilted.
Distribute 1/8 of the mixture evenly across the center of a roti and roll it up.
