Elawalu Roti
Sri Lankan Vegetable Roti (Vegetable Stuffed Roti)
Also known as Elawalu Rotti
Sri Lankan vegetable roti, or elawalu roti, is a soft wheat-flour dough wrapped around a spiced filling of potato, leeks, carrot, onion and green chilli, folded into a flat triangle or square parcel and dry-griddled until golden. Pillowy-soft with toasty, blistered edges and a savoury, gently chilli-warm centre, this vegetable stuffed roti is a proper bakery and tea-time short-eat. It's naturally vegetarian and easily vegan. Eat it warm with a dab of chilli sambol or katta sambol and a cup of tea.
Soft wheat-flour parcel, spiced potato and vegetable filling inside. This is the bakery short-eat you tear open warm and eat with a dab of chilli sambol.
- Total time
- 50 min
- 30 min prep · 20 min cook
- Serves
- 6 people
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice level
- Medium
- Country help
- USA · UK · AU · CA substitutes included
CeylonCooking
ceyloncooking.com/recipes/vegetable-roti
Sri Lankan Vegetable Roti (Elawalu Roti)
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Nutrition
Estimated values, per serving.
About This Dish
Walk into any Sri Lankan bakery in the morning or late afternoon and they're stacked in the glass case next to the fish buns and patties: flat, golden, slightly squashed parcels of soft bread hiding a spiced vegetable centre. Elawalu roti, simply 'vegetable roti', is one of the great short-eats, the cheap hand-held savouries Sri Lankans eat standing at a counter, on the bus, or with a mid-morning cup of tea. Elawalu means vegetable, and that's the whole promise: a soft wheat wrapper folded around a filling of potato, leeks, carrot, onion and green chilli, sometimes stretched with a little soya.
This is thrifty, satisfying food. A few potatoes, a handful of vegetables and some spice go a long way once they're tucked inside a soft dough and griddled until the edges blister. Unlike the bun, there's no yeast and no long proof. The dough is a simple, oil-enriched wheat dough that rests for half an hour while the filling cooks, then gets shaped, filled and folded into a flat parcel. It's the kind of thing made in big batches for a busy household, wrapped for lunch boxes and journeys, and reheated on a dry pan whenever someone is hungry.
What makes a good vegetable roti is the contrast between the soft, slightly chewy wrapper and the warm, spiced filling inside. The dough should be tender and pliable, thin enough to fold and seal but sturdy enough not to burst, and the filling needs to be thick, dry and well seasoned so it doesn't leak or steam the bread soggy. Curry leaves, green chilli and a little Sri Lankan curry powder give it that unmistakable island back note. Eaten warm with a smear of fiery sambol, it's humble, comforting and quietly addictive.
It's worth knowing where vegetable roti sits among the island's many roti, because the name causes endless confusion. This is a filled, folded parcel, not a flatbread you eat plain. It's not pol roti, the hearty coconut flatbread, and it's not godamba roti, the thin, stretched, flaky flatbread that gets chopped up for kottu. Vegetable roti borrows the soft, stretchy godamba-style dough but uses it as a wrapper, sealing a spiced vegetable filling inside before it hits the griddle.
The Soft Wheat Dough and the Spiced Filling
Vegetable roti has two halves that matter equally, and the first is the dough. This is a soft wheat-flour dough, not the coconut-laden one of pol roti. Plain flour, salt, a little oil and warm water are kneaded into a smooth, elastic dough and rested so it relaxes and turns pliable, much like the dough behind godamba roti. The oil and the rest are what let you press or stretch each piece thin enough to fold into a neat parcel without it tearing, while still staying soft and a touch chewy once griddled. Get the dough right and the rest is easy. A stiff, dry dough cracks and bursts. A properly rested, slightly tacky one wraps the filling like a glove.
The second half is the spiced vegetable filling, and this is where the roti really earns its flavour. Floury potato is the backbone. Mash it or dice it finely so it binds everything together, then add leeks, carrot, onion and green chilli for sweetness, colour and gentle heat. Some cooks stretch the filling with a little rehydrated soya (textured vegetable protein). It soaks up the spice and gives a meaty, satisfying chew, and it is a very Sri Lankan way to bulk out a vegetable filling. Curry leaves, a pinch of turmeric and a little curry powder tie it all together. The golden rule is to cook the filling until it is thick and dry, because any spare moisture is what makes a parcel split or go gummy in the pan.
What It Should Taste Like
A soft, slightly chewy wheat wrapper with toasty, blistered edges, giving way to a thick, savoury filling of spiced potato, leeks and carrot. It is fragrant with curry leaf and gently warm with green chilli. Well seasoned bakery food, best eaten just warm with a dab of fiery sambol.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 6 servings. Change the number and every amount below updates with it. Substitutes for hard-to-find items are in the sidebar.
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Dough
- Plain (all-purpose) flourabout 250 g, plus a little extra for dusting2 cups
- Salt¾ tsp
- Oilplus a little more for shaping2 tbsp
- Warm waterto bindabout ¾ cup
Vegetable Filling
- Potatoesboiled and roughly mashed or finely diced3 medium
- Leeksfinely sliced1 cup
- Carrotgrated or finely diced1
- Onionfinely chopped1
- Green chilliesfinely chopped2
- Curry leaveschopped1 sprig
- Garlicminced2 cloves
- Ground turmeric¼ tsp
- Sri Lankan curry powder1 tsp
- Chilli powderto taste½ tsp
- Soya meat (textured vegetable protein)optional, soaked and squeezed dry½ cup
- Oil1 tbsp
- Saltto taste
- Lime juiceoptional1 tsp
Method
Follow these 6 steps. Each one explains not just what to do, but why it matters.
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- 01
Make and Rest the Dough
Mix the flour and salt, rub in the oil, then add the warm water a little at a time. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes into a soft, smooth, elastic dough. Rub the surface with a thin film of oil, cover, and rest for at least 30 minutes.
The rest is not optional here. It is the secret to a parcel that folds without tearing. As you knead, that shaggy mix turns into a dough that is smooth, a little tacky, and springs back gently when you poke it. That is the gluten coming alive. Left to rest under a film of oil, the gluten relaxes, so the dough stops fighting you and stretches thin and pliable instead of snapping back. You will feel the difference. A freshly mixed dough is stiff and stubborn, while a rested one is soft, silky and obedient. Keep it slightly tacky rather than dry, because a dry dough cracks at the folds.
Tip: Resist the urge to pile in extra flour to stop the stickiness. A soft, lightly oiled dough wraps far better than a stiff, floury one that splits as you fold.
- 02
Cook the Spiced Vegetable Filling
Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, green chilli and curry leaves until soft. Stir in the turmeric, curry powder and chilli powder, then add the leeks and carrot and cook until they soften. Fold in the mashed potato (and the squeezed soya, if using), season with salt and the lime juice, and cook until thick and dry.
You are building a filling that holds together in a clump and carries no spare water, because moisture is the enemy of a sealed parcel. Let the onions soften and turn golden first so they sweeten, then toast the spices for a few seconds until the kitchen smells warm and fragrant before the harder vegetables go in. As the leeks and carrot cook down they release a little liquid, so keep the pan moving until that steams off and the mixture looks glossy and dry rather than wet. When you push it to one side of the pan and no water pools behind it, it is ready. Taste it now. It should be savoury, gently spicy and bright, because the bland dough relies on the filling for all its flavour.
Tip: Cool the filling completely before you wrap. Cold, firm filling is far easier to fold and seal than warm, soft filling, and it won't soften the dough as you shape.
- 03
Divide and Shape the Dough
Give the rested dough a quick knead, then divide it into 6 equal balls. Oil the surface lightly and flatten, press or roll each ball out into a thin round or square, about 18 to 20 cm across.
Oil, not flour, is the trick for shaping this dough. A film of oil on the surface and your fingers lets you press and stretch each ball wonderfully thin without it sticking or drying out. It's the same way godamba roti is worked. You want the sheet thin enough that it folds into neat layers, but not so thin that it tears the moment filling touches it. Press from the centre outwards, turning as you go, until you have an even round or square with no thick lump in the middle. A slightly thicker rim is fine. That is where you will seal.
Tip: Get all six sheets rolled out before you fill anything. Once your hands are sticky with filling, shaping goes much more smoothly if the dough is already waiting.
- 04
Fill and Fold the Parcel
Spoon a portion of cooled filling into the centre of each sheet, leaving a clear border of dough all around. Fold the sides over the filling to make a flat triangle or square. Overlap the edges and press them down firmly to seal into a neat, flat parcel.
Folding is the one step that decides whether your roti survives the griddle whole, so go slowly. Keep the filling in a tidy mound in the middle and leave a clean border. Filling pushed to the edge is exactly where a parcel splits and leaks. For a square, fold the left and right sides in over the filling, then the top and bottom, like wrapping a small gift. For a triangle, fold in three. Press each fold down so the layers stick to one another and no filling peeks out at the seams. You want a flat, sealed parcel with the folds tucked underneath, not a fat, round ball.
Tip: Don't overfill. A modest amount that seals cleanly into a flat parcel beats a generous one that bulges, bursts and oozes onto the pan every time.
- 05
Griddle Until Golden
Heat a flat pan or griddle over medium heat. Cook each roti folded-side down first for 2 to 3 minutes a side, with just a brush of oil, until golden-brown spots appear and the dough is cooked through.
Cooking folded-side down first sets and seals the layers so the parcel holds together. Then you flip it to colour the other face. A properly heated pan gives the wrapper toasty, blistered golden spots and a slightly crisp edge while the inside stays soft and the filling heats through. Press the roti gently with a spatula as it cooks so the layers fuse and it browns evenly. It's done when both sides are speckled golden and the dough no longer looks raw or pale at the folds. Keep the heat medium. Too hot and the outside chars before the centre warms through.
Tip: A dry or barely oiled pan keeps these light and bakery-style. A more generous slick of oil gives a richer, fried-edge roti closer to a paratha. Either works.
- 06
Rest Briefly and Serve Warm
Lift the cooked roti onto a plate and let it sit for a minute. Then serve warm with chilli sambol or katta sambol and a cup of tea.
A short rest lets the steam inside settle so the filling firms up and the layers hold when you cut or tear in. Vegetable roti is at its best warm and fresh off the pan, when the wrapper is soft with crisp, blistered edges and the spiced centre is hot. Stack the finished ones and keep them wrapped in a clean cloth so they stay soft and warm while you griddle the rest of the batch. Eat them out of hand, torn open with a dab of fiery sambol, exactly as they are sold at the bakery.
Tip: Keep cooked roti wrapped in a clean tea towel as you work through the batch. That trapped steam is what keeps them soft instead of letting the edges go leathery.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- A wet, loose filling steams inside the parcel, leaving the dough gummy or blowing the seal open in the pan.
- Skipping the dough rest means it stays stiff and fights you, cracking at the folds instead of stretching thin.
- Overfilling makes the parcel bulge and split, and the filling leaks straight onto the griddle.
- Too high a heat chars the wrapper before the filling inside has a chance to warm through.
- Filling the roti while the mixture is still hot softens the dough, so folding and sealing becomes a struggle.
Serving Ideas
- Warm, with a dab of chilli sambol or katta sambol and a cup of Sri Lankan milk tea, the classic short-eat.
- As a packed snack or lunchbox filler, they're good at room temperature and easy to eat on the go.
- Tear them open and serve with pol sambol or lunu miris alongside for extra heat.
Building a whole plate around it? Start from our sri lankan party menu menu, which sets out what to cook alongside it and in what order.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Honestly, they're best warm and fresh off the pan. Cooked roti keep for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge, and they reheat well on a hot dry pan to crisp the edges back up. The filling can be made a day ahead and chilled, which makes wrapping easier too. Cooked roti freeze for up to a month, separated by paper; reheat from frozen on a dry pan or in a low oven until hot through. You can also freeze shaped, unbaked parcels and then griddle them straight from chilled.
Two Ways to Cook It
Use a simple plain-flour dough and leave out the soya. Boil and mash the potato, stir it through softened onion, carrot and a little curry powder, let it cool, then wrap modest portions into easy square parcels and cook them on a dry non-stick pan until golden. It's forgiving and quick.
Work an oiled, well-rested dough thin, like godamba roti. Build a filling of potato, leeks, carrot and rehydrated soya seasoned with fresh curry leaves and Sri Lankan curry powder, fold into neat flat triangles, and griddle on a hot iron tawa. That's how you get the best blistered, bakery-style finish.
Lighter and Healthier Version
Vegetable roti starts as a vegetable-led short-eat, and because it's griddled rather than deep-fried, it already sits lighter than many bakery snacks. A few swaps make it more nourishing while keeping the soft wrapper and savoury filling that make it elawalu roti.
Griddled, Not Fried
Cook the roti on a dry or barely oiled pan instead of frying them in a slick of oil. The wrapper still blisters and crisps at the edges, but carries far less fat than a paratha-style finish.
Pack in More Vegetables
Lean the filling towards leeks, carrot, cabbage and green beans, and use a little less potato. That way each parcel is mostly vegetables and a little lighter on starch.
Wholemeal Swap
Replace up to half the plain flour with atta or wholemeal flour for extra fibre and a nuttier flavour. The dough stays pliable but bakes a touch denser, so add a splash more water.
Add Plant Protein
Rehydrated soya, or a few mashed chickpeas, bulk the filling with protein and fibre, so a roti or two makes a more balanced light meal rather than just a snack.
Naturally Vegan
Because it's made with an oil-and-water dough and a vegetable filling, vegetable roti has no dairy, eggs or meat. It suits vegan and dairy-free eaters as it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sri Lankan vegetable roti, or elawalu roti, is a soft wheat-flour dough wrapped around a spiced filling of potato, leeks, carrot, onion and green chilli. You fold it into a flat triangle or square parcel and dry-griddle it until golden. Elawalu means vegetable in Sinhala. This is a popular bakery and tea-time short-eat, eaten warm with a dab of chilli sambol and a cup of tea. It's naturally vegetarian and easily made vegan.
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