BhavnaRoti has been my the most favorite bread ever since I started eating solid food. My mother shared the memory of Roti with me, when I was a child, I used to be around in the kitchen while my mother making Roti. And we all siblings loved to eat roti while she is still making. Hot steamy, aromatic Roti is something to devour on. She said we also loved roti roll, roti smeared with Ghee and lightly sprinkled Sugar, then rolled. I am sure many of you can relate this story.
Below is the video of step by step instructions for making Rotis successfully.
For those who are new to Roti, Roti (also known as chapati) is a flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Maldives, Malaysia and Bangladesh.
Roti’s defining characteristic is that it is unleavened. Indian naan bread, by contrast, is a yeast-leavened bread. A kulcha in Indian cuisine is a bread-like accompaniment, made of processed flour (maida) leavened with yeast.
Many variations of flat breads are found in many cultures across the globe, from the Indian subcontinent to the Americas. Roti can be made simple, layered or with variety of flavors even.
Like breads around the world, roti is a staple accompaniment to other foods.It is normally eaten with cooked vegetables or curries; it can be called a carrier for curries or cooked vegetables.
A good roti is one that is very soft, with layers (almost like pastry layers if possible), which remains whole. Roti recipe is very simple but for some it is a challenge and roti making can be mastered through repetition.
How to make Rotis or Chapatis aka Phulkas
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour Atta
- ½ Cup Water at room temperature
- 1 tsp Oil optional
- 1 teaspoon salt if desired but Rotis may turn little hard with salt
Instructions
- Put one cup of flour in a bowl. Add oil(if desired) and half a cup of water and mix with a spoon. When there is no more water visible, stop mixing. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. If you are a beginner and don't know how much water the flour will take, I recommend to add water as you go.
- After 30 minutes, add the salt(optional), gently mix the dough for 2 minutes, just enough to gather the dough into one piece. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. I usually don't let the dough rest this long. But for those who are new to making roti, will find hard to manage with soft dough. So These additional steps are added. I usually make the dough in one shot, let it rest for about 10-15 minutes covered and prepare the rotis.
- Divide the dough into lime size balls. Set an iron pan on medium high heat. Let it become hot. Take a dough ball and generously dust it with flour. Roll the dough into a 4 inch round on a flat smooth surface using a rolling pin. Place the chapati on the hot griddle. Let it cook for 10-15 seconds until bubbles starts to form on top. Flip the chapati and cook for 30 seconds more. Gently press on top of the chapati to make the chapati fluff up. Flip one more time and press on top. Chapati should beautifully fluff up. If making phulkas, just flip on direct flame and it will fluff up.
- Line a bowl with cotton towel. Place the cooked chapati on the bowl and cover with a towel. Chapati will stay beautifully soft for a long time.
Roti (also known as chapati) is a flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Maldives, Malaysia and Bangladesh. It is also consumed in parts of South Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, the southern Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Grenada, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Its defining characteristic is that it is unleavened.
Many variations of flat breads are found in many cultures across the globe, from the Indian subcontinent to the Americas. The traditional flat bread originating from the Indian subcontinent is known as roti, pronounced “RHO-tee”. It is normally eaten with cooked vegetables or curries; it can be called a carrier for curries or cooked vegetables. It is made most often from wheat flour, cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tawa. Like breads around the world, roti is a staple accompaniment to other foods. In Iran, the two variants of this bread are called khaboos [better source needed] and lavash. These two breads (the former of which is almost exactly prepared like Indian roti) are quite similar to other rotis.
Preparing Rotis is quick and easy if you know how to roll. I prefer to use fine Wheat flour from Indian grocery. These days, you can make Multi Grain Rotis as well. Most traditional Indian flat breads require flour and water. In some cases salt and other spices are added but mostly plain breads are prepared often to serve with curries and sabjis.
Roti is our staple bread so I always have to have Dough in my refrigerator to prepare rotis anytime I need. It doesn’t take much time to prepare the Roti dough but when you want to prepare just couple of rotis, it is hard to prepare very small amount of dough. So it is good to have the dough made in bulk, refrigerate and prepare Rotis. I would not make in a huge quantity but I prepare the dough from 2-3 cups of flour and so I can finish in 2-3 days.
You might be thinking why not just refrigerate the Rotis, to me personally, freshly baked rotis are much better than the stale old rotis. Actually, rotis can stay at room temperature for couple of days if the weather is not too hot. I would not mind very next day but not more than that. Over the period of time, you will come to know the big difference in fresh and stale rotis. If I have leftover rotis, I save them in freezer and then when I have enough of it, I make Vaghareli Roti, Chewda, or some other recipes such as noodles, Nacho, or even Pizza.
