Hindustani
Roti: the best-known dish in Suriname
Roti is a Surinamese-Hindustani dish of a thin griddled flatbread served alongside chicken, potato, long bean and masala. A plate in a Paramaribo roti shop typically costs SRD 80 to SRD 180 (roughly €2–€5).
Roti arrived with the Hindustani indentured labourers brought from British India from 1873 onwards, and became something of its own here. The Surinamese version is larger and softer, and is usually a dhal roti: the dough is filled with ground yellow split peas before griddling, which makes it pale yellow and slightly grainy inside.
You eat it with your hands. Tear off a piece of roti, pick up chicken or potato with it, dip into the masala gravy. Cutlery usually appears, but nobody blinks if you leave it.
The default order is "roti kip", roti with chicken. Ask for "roti with everything" and you generally also get long bean, egg and sometimes a piece of pumpkin. The pepper comes separately in a small dish. Madame Jeanette, and that is not a suggestion.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Surinamese and Indian roti?
Surinamese roti is larger and softer than an Indian chapati, and is usually a dhal roti filled with ground yellow split peas. The accompaniments differ too, in Suriname almost always chicken, potato and long bean in masala, in India a far wider range of curries.
What does roti cost in Paramaribo?
In an ordinary roti shop in Paramaribo expect SRD 80 to SRD 180 for a plate of roti with chicken, depending on the shop and the extras. That is roughly €2 to €5.
Can you get vegetarian roti?
Yes. Almost every roti shop has a vegetarian version with potato, long bean, pumpkin and dhal instead of chicken. Ask for "roti met groente" or vegetarian roti.