Plain godamba roti
A Sri Lankan wheat flatbread made from thinly stretched, oil-rested dough and cooked briefly on a dry griddle until soft.
Modern adaptation
Sri Lankan pol roti
An unleavened Sri Lankan flatbread made with fresh grated coconut and wheat flour, cooked on a tawa.
Coconut in the dough
Pol roti combines wheat flour and grated coconut in an unleavened dough. This Sri Lankan home version uses fresh coconut and makes small thick rounds. Coconut moisture changes how much water the dough needs.
Sources for this section
History
Pol roti is documented in Sri Lankan cuisine; its earliest date and precise origin are not established.
Ingredients
Yield 10 small rotis · Scaling: source batch only
237 mL1 cup as recorded
Fresh grated coconut
177 mL¾ cup as recorded
To taste
As needed
Coconut oil
As needed for cooking
Method
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Contains wheat.
Cook the thick dough through; do not taste raw flour.
- Mix flour, grated coconut and salt, rubbing the coconut into the flour. Add water gradually and knead to a soft, pliable dough.
- Divide into equal portions and roll each into a thick disc. Cut into rounds if desired.
- Heat a tawa with a little coconut oil. Cook each round over medium heat, then turn and cook the other side.
- Continue until the dough is cooked through and browned in spots. Repeat with the remaining rounds.
Conditions
Yield10 small rotis
Places
Sri Lanka
Documented preparation · Country evidenceThe sources document a Sri Lankan preparation; a precise birthplace is not established.
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Sources
Sandhiya's CookbookInspiration · Method · Geography
Pol Roti | Srilankan Coconut Roti | Coconut Roti RecipeTen-small-roti fresh coconut and wheat formula and medium-heat griddle method.
Cited in: Coconut in the dough
Sri Lanka TourismGeography · Context
Food RangeSri Lankan pol roti and grated mature coconut association.
Cited in: Coconut in the dough