1teaspoonsaltif 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.