Roti (chapati) is not a staple food in my house. But now a days, it seems I make it often, like twice or thrice in a week. Roti comes in the flatbread group which is popular in many countries. Different versions of flatbread is made in different countries and are known by different names as well.
Roti or chapathi is a daily food in North India. The basic ingredients we need to make the bread is whole wheat flour (atta in Hindi), water and salt. You can add butter, ghee or oil for a soft chapati. For me butter /ghee makes the bread delicious rather than soft, but should be eaten warm. Otherwise use a casserole to keep it soft until served. Olive oil also gives a unique flavor to the bread. Refined oils like sunflower oil makes it softer. My take on is oils make roti softer where as butter/ghee makes it delicious.
The only thing to take care of while preparing chapati is the quantity of water you add. Too much water makes it difficult to work the dough. Less water makes the bread hard. So make sure to use exact quantity of water by adding a little at a time. Again the quantity of water depends on the type of flour being used.
Homemade Roti / Chapati / Wheat Tortilla
Homemade Roti / Chapati/ Wheat Tortilla
Ingredients
- 2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
- 1 tbsp Oil optional
- Salt to taste
- ¾ cup Water or as needed to make a soft dough
- ¼ Extra flour for dusting
Instructions
- Add the flour, salt and oil into a large mixing bowl. Mix well with your hands.
- Now add a little water at a time. Mix well using a spoon. Continue this until the dough comes together.
- Now using your hand, mix the dough well. Add water if the dough is hard. Fold and knead well to make a soft and pliable dough.
- Now cover the dough with a damp cloth or cover the bowl with a lid. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Keep aside ¼ cup wheat flour in a bowl.
- Now divide the dough into 12 smooth balls.
- Work one ball at a time.Make a smooth and round ball by rolling between your palms. Now press and flatten it gently. Dip the ball in the flour and dust from all sides.
- Keep the rolling board and rolling pin ready. Now keep the dusted ball on the board and roll the dough by applying gentle pressure using the rolling pin. Dust the roti if it starts to stick to the pin. Try to make a round chapati with even thickness.
- Heat a skillet or an iron griddle on medium high. Brush off the excess flour from the rolled chapathi and place it on the hot skillet.
- Cook for 15-30 seconds. You will see some bubbles on top of the chapati. Then flip the roti on the other side. Cook it for another 30 seconds or a little more to see some brown spots on the chapati.
- Again flip to the other side. Now gently press the roti using a wooden spatula or a cotton cloth. The roti will puff up at some parts. You will get some nice brown spots on both sides of the roti. Remove the roti and keep it in a casserole or just keep it covered.
- Repeat and cook all the rotis. Serve hot and enjoy with your favorite side dish.
Notes
- You can use warm water to make the dough which is said to make the chapati softer. Or you can use whey liquid also.
- You can use ghee instead of oil. Any oil like sunflower oil or olive oil can be used to make the dough.
- Brush the chapati with ghee if you like the taste.
- The roti will puff like a ball if it is evenly rolled.
- Make sure to cook the chapati in a really hot skillet. This prevents over cooking and a hard roti.
The roti is usually round in shape. It is a skill that has to be practiced. I would have made hundreds of rotis by this time. But even after making it for years, I get the shape right by luck only. You can call it chapati or tortilla. But who is bothered about the shape and name if the chapati you serve is delicious, at least not my family. So don’t care about the shape or name. This is the easiest bread you will ever make. So try these unleavened Indian flat bread for sure. I will be back with more bread recipes soon.
Happy Cooking
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