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    "Home" » Baking

    Sada Roti

    Published: Jun 20, 2013 · Modified: Apr 28, 2023 by Althea Brown · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Sada roti is a simple, 4 ingredient Guyanese flatbread that is soft and fluffy when properly cooked. Learn how to make sada roti that swells up perfectly every time with this easy roti recipe. Serve this bread with your favorite curries, stews or even with dab of butter.

    Sada rotis cut in half placed on a grey napkin with a bowl of fluffy sada rotis in the back.
    Jump to:
    • Guyanese Sada Roti
    • Why You'll Love This Sada Roti Recipe
    • What is Sada Roti?
    • Ingredients for Sada Roti
    • How to Make Sada Roti
    • Sada Roti Step by Step Tutorial:
    • How to Get Sada Roti to Swell
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Tips for the Softest Sada Roti
    • FAQ
    • Pairing
    • Printable Recipe Card

    Guyanese Sada Roti

    I've been making sada roti since I was about 11. It is one of the first rotis my mom taught me how to make. When I used to eat gluten without any issues, I enjoyed my sada roti with baigan choka or roasted eggplant (Try my Instant Pot Baigan Choka Recipe). These days I don't make it often, but when I do they are enjoyed by my family who are all roti lovers.

    Why You'll Love This Sada Roti Recipe

    • Beginner Friendly: If you are new to making roti, this is the perfect starter recipe. Made with just 4 ingredients (and no yeast), these come together quickly.
    • Authentic: This recipe is as authentic as it gets. Your sada roti will have all the flavors or traditional Guyanese and Trini sada roti, just like your mom's!
    • Versatile Flat Bread: Enjoy this with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Serve it as a side dish with your favorite Guyanese recipes or enjoy it topped with butter, peanut butter, hummus or jam. The serving possibilities are endless!
    • Absolutely Delicious: Warm and incredibly fluffy, sada roti is a simple yet tasty comfort food that you'll make time and time again!
    inflated sada roti over direct heat

    What is Sada Roti?

    Sada roti is a Guyanese flatbread inspired by Indian settlers who introduced it to the Carribean. It is a version of Indian rotis made with atta (whole wheat flour) but instead it is made with maida (all purpose flour). Unlike the Indian roti, it has baking powder as a rising agent. Of all the types of roti, this is the easiest to make.

    Ingredients for Sada Roti

    I guarantee you have everything you need to whip up a batch of pillowy soft sada roti.

    • All purpose flour: The main ingredient in this recipe.
    • Baking powder: This is what makes the dough rise.
    • Salt: Some recipes exclude salt but it tastes pretty bland without it. A little goes a long way.
    • Water: Use warm water for easier mixing.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to Make Sada Roti

    Form Dough

    Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix ingredients together. Then form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all of the water. Mix together to form a soft, sticky dough.

    adding warm water to dry ingredients

    Knead Dough

    Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough using the squeezing method (see video for demonstration). Knead dough for 5 to 10 minutes then return to the mixing bowl, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

    two hands kneading sada roti dough
    sada roti dough resting in a bowl

    Once the dough has rested for at least 30 minutes, separate it into 8 equal pieces. Shape the dough pieces into 8 smooth balls, then cover and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.

    6 plated dough balls

    After the dough rested for 30 minutes, on a floured surface roll the dough into flat disks about 3/16th of an inch thick and about 8 inches in diameter (about the size of a wide open palm).

    overhead view of rolled out dough

    Place your tawa or flat cast iron skillet on medium heat and bring up to temperature. When hot add your rolled out sada roti to the tawa or skillet. Then cook until small air pockets appear on the top of the roti.

    Next flip the roti over to cook on the other side. The side that was previously on the tawa or skillet should be lightly cooked. Cook on the flipped side for about 1 minute then flip back on the lightly cooked side and allow to continue to cook until the roti inflates

    4 step visual for cooking sada roti on a tawa

    Sometime, you can reduce your heat to low, then slide the roti over the open flame to help accelerate the inflation process.

    Once roti swells into a round ball remove from the heat and wrap roti in a dish towel to keep warm and soft.

    Repeat these steps to cook all of the rotis.

    Sada Roti Step by Step Tutorial:

    How to Get Sada Roti to Swell

    You want sada roti to puff up for a luxuriously fluffy bread and there are a few ways to achieve it.

    1. Place the roti on the edge of the tawa or skillet.
    2. Continuously rotate the roti on the tawa.
    3. Place a trivet over the burner and place the roti on top so it will puff up and develop a nice char.
    4. Pop freshly cooked roti into the microwave for 10-15 seconds
    inflated sada roti over direct heat
    sada roti puffing up on a trivet

    Equipment

    • Rubber Spatula: An optional tool to mix the dough.
    • Large Mixing Bowl: This contains the dough.
    • Tawa or Skillet: The ideal cooking vessel is the tawa but a  flat cast iron skillet will work too.

    Storage

    This batch of sada roti lasted an entire week and was still soft. I kept them wrapped in a kitchen towel and in a ziplock bag. After 3 days I put them in the fridge. On day 5 my husband had one with butter for breakfast and it was as soft as when freshly made.

    When reheating in the microwave, wrap with a damp paper towel.

    Tips for the Softest Sada Roti

    • Use a rubber spatula when mixing the dough. It ensures the dough is smooth with no lumps. You also won't have to knead as much afterward.
    • Do not use the pull-and-tuck method for this recipe because the dough will become stiff. Instead, gently tuck the dough underneath so the top of the sada roti dough balls remain smooth.
    • Although the dough balls should be rolled into round disks, it does not have to be perfectly round.
    • Apply roti disks to a hot tawa but it should not be smoking. Cook over medium heat.
    • Continuously rotate the roti for even cooking. Your sada roti is in good shape if you can move it with your hands without it sticking to the pan.
    Top down view of sada roti on a grey napkin with other sada roti stacked in a blue and white bowl

    FAQ

    How can I prevent sticky sada roti dough?

    As you are handling the dough, add a bit of flour to your hands if it is too sticky. Apply more if needed just before cooking it on the tawa so it doesn't stick to the cooking surface.

    Why is my sada roti not puffing up?

    There may be a hole in the roti so hot air is escaping. Avoid this by making your dough as smooth as possible. Also, ensure your dough is not too dry and that it remains soft while handling it.
    Alternatively, you may have cooked it on one side for too long. Flip the roti once bubbles begin to form on the surface.

    What is the difference between sada roti and paratha?

    Both are flatbreads cooked on a tawa but paratha roti is made with some type of fat. Paratha is laminated with fat and flaky while sada roti is not.

    Related

    • Gluten Free Guyanese Sada Roti (Paleo)
    • Guyanese roti in a whte rectangular dish. The dish is line with a blueish gray napkin. The dish is resting on a brown, circular macrame place mat set against a white background
      Easy Guyanese Oil Roti (Beginner Friendly Recipe)
    • Potato roti on parchment paper
      Guyanese Aloo Paratha (Potato Roti)
    • Guyanese paratha oil rotis folded on a round wooden board. A bowl with oil is visible on the left and a metal rolling pin is visible on the right
      Guyanese Paratha (oil) Roti

    Pairing

    • Fried Baigan
    • Sautéed Canned Salmon
    • Fish Choka
    • Guyanese Style Chicken Curry

    Do you love this recipe? Have questions or suggestions? Let me know in the comments section. Then check out my YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram for more delicious recipes.

    Printable Recipe Card

    Sada rotis cut in half placed on a grey napkin with a bowl of fluffy sada rotis in the back.

    Sada Roti

    Althea Brown
    Sada roti is a simple, 4 ingredient Guyanese flatbread that is soft and fluffy when properly cooked. Learn how to make sada roti that swells up perfectly every time with this easy roti recipe. Serve this bread with your favorite curries and stews.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
    Course Flat Bread
    Cuisine Guyanese, Trinidadian
    Servings 8 Rotis
    Calories 228 kcal

    Equipment

    • Rubber Spatula
    • Large Mixing Bowl
    • Tawa or Skillet

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 cups all purpose flour
    • 3 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 ¾ cups warm water

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix together well. Then form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all of the water. Mix together to form a soft, sticky dough.
    • Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough about 5 minutes by squeezing the dough. The finally turn the dough over onto itself to make a smooth ball.
    • Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes, but no more than an hour (to prevent crusting).
    • Once dough has rested for at least 30 minutes, separate into 8 equal pieces. Shape the dough pieces into 8 smooth balls by rolling in your palm on a smooth surface. Then cover and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
    • After the dough rested for 30 minutes, on a floured surface roll the dough into flat disks about 3/16th of an inch thick and about 8 inches in diameter (about the size of a wide open palm). You can also roll your sada rotis out thinner and larger if you prefer.
    • Heat up your tawa or skillet on medium heat. When hot add your rolled out sada roti. Then cook until small air pockets appear on the top of the roti.
    • Next flip the roti over to cook on the other side. The side that was previously on the tawa or skillet should be lightly cooked. Cook for about 1 minute then flip again and continue to cook until the roti inflates
    • Sometimes, you can reduce your heat to low, then slide the roti over the open flame to help accelerate the inflation process. This is called sahke roti.
    • Once roti swells into a round ball remove from the heat and wrap roti in a dish towel to keep warm and soft. Repeat the cooking steps to cook the remaining sada rotis.
    • Cut into halves and serve warm with your favorite curries and stews or just a dab of butter.

    Notes

    1. You can choose to leave your roti on the cast iron skillet until it swells into a ball. That's how my mom makes it and it's just as delicious.
    2. Ensure that your roti is not sticky when you add it to the tawa or skillet. Dust with a little bit of flour just to be sure
    3. Extra rotis can be placed in the refrigerator. Wrap with a damp paper towel when reheating in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 6gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 454mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 1IUCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword guyanese sada roti, how to make sada roti, sada roti, sada roti guyana, sada roti recipe, sada roti vs paratha, what is sada roti
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lee says

      June 05, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      Microwave it for 30 seconds will inflate the roti.

      Reply
      • Radha says

        August 28, 2020 at 6:18 pm

        Thanks so much for sada roti recipt i now try it for the first time my roti swell thanks

        Reply
    2. Anita Khan says

      January 06, 2021 at 3:20 am

      Perfect instructions. The roti swell and my family thinks I am a hero. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Althea Brown says

        January 06, 2021 at 8:23 am

        You are a hero. Claim it. 👏🏾👏🏾

        Reply
    3. Anita Khan says

      January 06, 2021 at 3:21 am

      5 stars
      Easy to follow. Pereverything. time.

      Reply
      • Anita Khan says

        January 06, 2021 at 3:22 am

        5 stars
        PERFECT EVERY TIME

        Reply
        • Althea Brown says

          January 06, 2021 at 8:24 am

          Thank you

          Reply
      • Althea Brown says

        January 06, 2021 at 8:24 am

        Thank you so much.

        Reply
    4. Nella says

      October 16, 2021 at 5:22 pm

      5 stars
      10 outta 10!
      Thank you Althea for this amazing recipe!

      Reply
    5. Paul says

      December 17, 2022 at 9:12 pm

      Is it supposed to swell up like that?. Dont remember it swelling like that. This looks more Trini. Dont know, never really seen sada roti swell up really big.
      Guyanese sada roti is a big thick thing...it dont look like naan like the Trini, ones. This is how I realized sada roti is the equivalent to naan after seeing the ones Trini version.

      Dont know if you know or remember but, in Guyana people used to call it cartwheel, its substantial for people who work in the fields all day, or running after a herd of cows.

      Reply
    6. Pam says

      January 09, 2023 at 5:34 pm

      I love sada roti with fried ochro and shrimp , open it like a pocket and fill with ochro ,😋. With a nice cup a tea my kind of breakfast

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Instant Pot Baigan (Eggplant) Choka - Metemgee says:
      February 4, 2021 at 1:54 am

      […] mom and everyone else in my household had their Baigan Choka with real deal paratha (oil) roti that my mom made. We also pair baigan choka with sada roti. Comfort food heaven. I featured my mom […]

      Reply
    2. Bora & Sweet Potatoes - Metemgee says:
      September 18, 2021 at 7:59 am

      […] Sada Roti […]

      Reply
    3. 2pretense says:
      January 12, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      2isthmus

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Althea! I have a real passion for cooking, especially traditional Caribbean recipes with deep roots! I was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana and now live in Denver, Colorado with my husband and 3 kids. I am a Whole30 Certified Coach and love sharing wholesome remixes to traditional Guyanese and Caribbean dishes.

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