I found a great recipe and the story behind it in the cookbook “Flatbreads & Flavors” this week. The recipe was for a coconut roti called Sri Lankan Coconut Breakfast Bread. I topped the bread with an Avocado Chutney from the same cookbook with fantastic results.

The story is this: coconut rotis are a simple flatbread made of grated coconut, whole wheat flour, and water and are served in neighborhood restaurants all over Sri Lanka despite the fact that Sri Lanka doesn’t have much, if any, of a grain crop. It turns out that the proliferation of the delightful bread is a result of P.L. 480, the “Food for Freedom Law,” whereby recipient nations get American grain (and other foods) at reduced rates. In the case of Sri Lanka, small businesses mixed the American grain with their local coconut crop to make a tasty and cost-effective treat.

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