• 180 g (6 oz/1½ cups) freshly scraped coconut*
• 1 red onion*, thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs curry leaves, leaves picked and chopped
• 4 thin green chillies*, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt, dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil*, plus 2 tablespoons extra
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/3⅓ cups) plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Place the coconut into a bowl with the onion, curry leaves, chillies, salty water and coconut oil; mix well with your hands. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, then mix in 185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) water, a little at a time. Knead into a pliable dough.

Work the dough into a large ball, making sure there are no cracks. Rub a little of the extra coconut oil over the dough ball so it doesn’t dry out. Take a handful of the dough and roll it into a ball, the size of a tennis ball, smoothing out any cracks. Rub with a little oil. Repeat with the remaining dough to make six balls.

Heat a tava (flat cast-iron roti pan) or a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Take a ball of dough and flatten it on a lightly oiled surface (or in your hands) into a disc about 13 cm (5 inches) in diameter and 5 mm (1/4 inch) thick. Place the disc of dough on the hot tava and use your fingertips to flatten it a little more, to about 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter. Cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts to colour, then flip it over and cook the other side for a further 3—4 minutes until light golden and crisp. Serve with seeni sambol, lunu miris or any thick curry.