Organic Roti: The New Burger and Fries 
written by Lindsay Karabanow 

Roti shops are springing up all over these days, and understandably so. But organic roti ... now there's a real treat! 

In Trinidad, the birth place of the construct called roti, these babies are the answer to the North American burger and fries. And a much healthier option to boot! The traditional Trinidadian roti shop offers its patrons a range of curries including Hubbard squash, spinach, bodi (a long string bean type veggie), eggplant, mango, chick peas, and potato. Animal proteins such as chicken, goat, beef, conch, shrimp are available too. Your choices are lovingly wrapped in a 12" flatbread, called a roti, and blessed with a sprinkle of hot pepper sauce. Or not... that's up to you!  And there you go – a hot roti good to go. No need to call for super sizing here! The result is as satisfying as it gets. 

Now cooking up a good Trinidadian curry calls for many ingredients; this is no joking matter, so listen up good! Into the pot you must put some garlic, chopped up fine. Garlic as you know is replete with health benefits, among them its antibacterial properties. You also must add a little gheera (cumin to us un-initiated folks), which is known for its digestive properties. A handful of cumin seed is handed out at Indian restaurants as dessert as well as a digestive. 

Next we move onto the ginger, also great (like garlic) if you feel an unwelcome tickle in your throat, and is excellent for digestion. The ginger adds a pleasant heat to the dish that would be missed without it. And a whole heap of other spices are thrown in - for instance, turmeric, that marigold-coloured spice, which has anti-inflammatory properties – and these are made into a paste in the pot, with a little ghee (clarified butter). The veggies and/or meat are than added and the mixture is slow cooked to tender, succulent perfection.  

The result is aromatic, deeply flavourful, and bursting with goodness, what with the use of all the colorful vegetables, and the addition of the spices. Nothing is deep fried, nothing is left under heat lamps, as each roti is made to order. And just think of the lasting feeling of satisfaction from a complete meal in a flatbread, low in fat and high in taste…   

So, next time you need food fast, why not seek out a roti instead? Better still make it an organic roti - made with all natural ingredients, from local farmers. 

Its fast, its real, its good. Make your fast food a holistic experience. 

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 About The Author 

Fire Stoker Foods
At Fire Stoker Foods, we produce and sell the best – if not the only – organic roti in town. We currently offer a selection of organic vegan curry, all-natural goat curry and organic fresh salad roti wrapped in a warm roti, or East Indian flatbread. The unbleached flour used to make the roti is also organic. Wherever possible, at Fire Stoker Foods, we aim to support local, sustainable, organic farming practices and the farmers who use these techniques. 

Website: www.firestokerfoods.com