Recipes

🌴 What is Pol Roti?

Pol roti is a rustic, satisfying coconut flatbread that’s easy to make and even easier to love. It’s dense, chewy, and slightly nutty from the coconut — ideal for scooping up saucy curries or pairing with a spicy onion sambol (lunu miris). No yeast, no waiting hours — just a handful of ingredients and a hot pan.

Origins & History of Sri Lankan Roti (Pol Roti)

Pol roti likely has its roots in ancient South Indian and Sri Lankan village cooking, where flatbreads made from locally grown grains or rice were common. As coconut became a staple crop in Sri Lanka — especially along the coasts — it was naturally incorporated into everyday cooking. The result: a unique, dense, chewy flatbread that differs from Indian chapati or paratha thanks to the rich flavor and moisture of fresh grated coconut.

The technique of cooking flatbreads over a hot griddle or clay pan (thachchiya) has existed in Sri Lanka for centuries, passed down in home kitchens rather than written down. Pol roti, in that sense, is a peasant food — affordable, nourishing, and made from ingredients always on hand: flour, coconut, water, and salt.

Cultural Significance

• Common in rural households, where breakfast and dinner often feature roti, sambol, and tea.
• It’s also considered practical travel food, as the rotis can be eaten cold and stored without refrigeration.
• While now made with wheat flour, early versions may have used kurakkan (finger millet) or rice flour, showing a shift in ingredients over time based on availability and trade.

Influence from Colonization & Trade

• The use of wheat flour in modern-day pol roti came with colonial imports — Portuguese, Dutch, and British powers brought in flour and baking techniques. But unlike baked bread, Sri Lankan roti stayed true to its flatbread roots: no oven, no yeast, no fluff — just pan and flame.

Today

• Pol roti has become a national comfort food, found in roadside eateries (hotels), family homes, and breakfast buffets alike. It's often modernized with fillings like onion, chili, or curry leaves, but the essence remains the same: simple, hearty, deeply Sri Lankan.