Roti John from Made Here: Recipes & Reflections from New York City's Asian Communities

"The origin story of roti john centers around an interaction between an Indian Muslim street vendor and a British soldier who asked for a hamburger. Unfamiliar with the request, the street vendor asked the soldier to describe the dish he was craving, and then did his best to recreate the description with the ingredients he had at hand: ground meat, various spices, onions, eggs, and bread.

Handing the piping hot sandwich over to the soldier, the hawker remarked 'Silakan makan roti, John,' meaning 'Please eat this bread, John' - 'John' being the generic term locals used for any Caucasian soldier or sailor at the time when the British occupied much of the area."

- Made Here

Well, hello there. Do you have a favorite condiment? From the first time I laid eyes on sriracha, I was smitten. It already had a reputation, but I don't care what people say. I tried it for myself.

Let's just say it claimed a permanent spot in my pantry. Now, anytime I come across a recipe that calls for sriracha, I take notice.

This roti john is the perfect anytime sandwich for omelette lovers with a preference for sriracha (or your favorite chili sauce).

Not a fan of spicy food? This omelette sandwich with ground lamb uses a sriracha/ketchup/sugar combo that you can easily adjust based on your preferences.

Learn more about cooking with kids.

If you like this recipe, you'll love scrambled eggs and gallo pinto.

Jump to:

• Made Here: Recipes & Reflections from New York City's Asian Communities
• Pork & Shrimp Shumai
• Family & Kid's Cooking Resources
• Food from Around the World: Free Cooking Lessons
• How to Make Roti John
• Roti John
• Free Roti John Recipe for Pre-Readers & Up
• Roti John from Made Here

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Amazon links are not affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure.

Made Here: Recipes & Reflections from New York City's Asian Communities

Amy Pryke's roti john recipe is from Made Here: Recipes & Reflections From NYC's Asian Communities by Send Chinatown Love.

Send Chinatown Love is a project that supports merchants in NYC’s many Chinatowns, devastated by the global pandemic, surges in anti-Asian sentiment, and a loss of foot traffic and rising expenses.

Made Here is a community cookbook drawn from restaurants, bakeries, and food vendors in NYC, such as Amy's Native Noodles. It profiles more than fifty businesses and offers a recipe from each. It also expands its reach to include contributions from other Asian communities that have been similarly affected.

How to Make Roti John

Ingredients

• ketchup
• sriracha - or your favorite chili sauce
• sugar - Amy recommends white sugar for the best roti john. We like to use stevia.
• baguette - you can use a baguette or a 6-inch hero roll for this roti john recipe
• oil - any neutral cooking oil will work
• ground beef or lamb
• cumin
• salt
• garlic
• onion - 1 small yellow onion will do
• eggs
• sambal oelek chili - you can also use Sriracha
• black pepper

Equipment

• Apron
• Prep Bowls
• Whisk
• Bread Knife
• Measuring Spoons
• Child-Friendly Knife
• Butcher Block
• carbon steel pan
• wooden spoon
• spatula

Make the Condiment

Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a measuring spoon to add the ketchup, sriracha, sugar, and water to a bowl. Whisk them together and set aside for later.

This is also a good time to slice the onion and mince the garlic using a cutting board and knife.

Toast the Bread

Use a child-friendly knife or bread knife to slice the bread lengthwise. Don't cut all the way through. Turn the stove to medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of the oil to a pan. Toast the bread on both sides by pressing it with a spatula before flipping it over and repeating on the other side.

Combine the Ground Meat, Cumin, & Salt

Use a measuring spoon to add the cumin and salt to a bowl along with the ground meat. Combine the ingredients with a spoon.

Cook the Onions

Add the remaining oil to the pan with and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds.

Turn the heat down to low and add the onions to the pan. Allow the onions to cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they turn translucent.

Add the Ground Meat Mixture

Turn that heat back up to medium and add the ground meat mixture to the pan. Let it sauté for 4 to 6 minutes. Wash your hands.

Pour the Egg Mixture on Top

While the ground meat and onions are cooking, crack the eggs into a clean bowl. Use a measuring spoon to add the sambal (or sriracha), salt, and black pepper to the bowl. Use a spoon or whisk to combine.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and over the meat. Allow it to cook without disturbing until the egg has firmed up around the edges but is still runny in the middle, about 30 seconds.

Top With the Toasted Baguette

Place the toasted baguette or roll over the egg cut-side down. You can see one of my rolls actually split after I cut it but it still works out. So no worries if your baguettes don't stay together. You're in good hands.

Press down firmly with a spatula for 2 to 3 minutes. This encourages the bread to absorb the egg mixture while it all cooks together.

Flip It Over

Now it's time for the fun part. Use a spatula to flip that baby. It'll warm up the bread. Hold it there for about 30 seconds while checking the doneness of the eggs.

Flip it Again

Flip it back again. If the eggs aren't done, keep going for another minute or so.

Transfer to a Plate and Top With the Condiment

Turn off the heat. Place a large plate or cutting board over the pan. Flip the pan over so that the roti john lands on the plate.

Add some of the spicy condiment to the sandwich. Close it up and slice it as needed for serving. Enjoy!

Free Roti John Recipe for Pre-Readers & Up