A roti is a curried stew, usually wrapped in some sort of flatbread (or roti). Sound interesting? What if we told you that this is one of the most flavorful dishes we’ve made in a while? More interested? And here’s the kicker: it’s a one-pot meal. You’re in, right? This is SO good and fun to eat. The thing we love about Caribbean food is that it’s a cool fusion of a few cuisine’s, like African, Indian, Asian, and Spanish, and you see some of those influences in these ingredients: curry powder, allspice, coconut milk, a hot pepper (or chose a mild one if you don’t love heat), and lavash bread. The chicken thighs turn out super tender and full of the flavors of those wonderful spices. You will be so happy with the heartiness and exotic feel of this awesome dish.
Tip (unsponsored): We buy our wheat lavash at Trader Joe’s, but we’ve seen it at other markets, like Sprouts. Make sure your coconut milk is unsweetened, as this dish has the perfect amount of sweetness as it is.
Have your children help you combine the spices, giving them the opportunity to inhale deeply and enjoy the interesting scents. This helps to make memories with your children and they will remember this fun time with you as they smell these scents later in life. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Peas contain folate, which can help prevent obesity.
- Allspice can help your body from becoming inflamed.
- Coconut milk has lots of fiber, which helps keep the sugars in your blood at a healthy level.
A few facts about the Caribbean and it’s people:
- The Caribbean is made up of several hundreds of islands, but people on live on a few of them.
- Part of the movie series “Pirates of the Caribbean” were actually filmed in the Caribbean.
- There are tons of churches in Jamaica, which is part of the Caribbean.
Adapted from Caribbean Chicken Roti
- 1½ teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 3 sprigs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds), quartered
- 1 13 .5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (do not shake)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
- ½ serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 10 -ounce package lavash flatbread (5 pieces)
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed
- Combine the curry powder, allspice, chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat; set aside.
- Skim 2 tablespoons of the solid cream off the top of the coconut milk; transfer to a large Dutch oven or pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until browned, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
- Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, chile and thyme sprigs to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot along with ¼ cup water; stir. Add the coconut milk (including any remaining coconut cream from the can). Tear 1 lavash into small pieces; add to the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Just before serving, warm the remaining lavash in the microwave. Remove the thyme sprigs from the pot and stir in the peas and carrots. Cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cilantro and serve with the remaining lavash.
