Not a day goes by in our home without making rotis. Be it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, roti’s are always easy to make and can be eaten with almost any curry or dal. I still remember the days when my daughter only used to eat rotis with jam or Nutella spread over it. They are not only delicious but are quite healthy too. Various types of rotis can be made using different flours and can be served with jam, Nutella, mint chutney, dal, or a gravy curry of your choice.
The Origin of Roti
Roti, also spelled as rotee in some countries is similar to bread or flatbread from the United States or Canada. There has always been a debate about its origin, and we can find a lot of theories with evidence as well. However, a few believe that roti was from Persia, where it was made using Maida or all-purpose flour and was a little thicker.
The roti made using wheat flour were said to be from the Indus Valley Civilization of Egypt, and East Africa. As per the history of India, roti was consumed in Awadh due to good crops of wheat. Back then, the wheat flour was a little coarse and the roti was a little thick. With changing times, we use fine wheat flour to make rotis at home.
How To Make Roti
The making procedure of roti may seem a little tricky to some, but it is quite easy to make, and you will get there with a little practice. The first step involves preparing the roti dough, where water and salt are added to the flour, and it is kneaded well. The dough is then kept aside to rest for a while.
We then take a little dough, shape it like a ball, and create a round flat piece using a rolling pin. Achieving a perfectly round can be hard, but you will get there eventually. These days we have rolling boards with markings that help us roll the dough in perfect shape and evenly. Both the rolling pin and the roti mat/board can be bought online with ease.
Different Types of Roti
You can find various versions of rotis in India. Some of the popular ones are the Kerala style porotta, the plain paratha, chapati, pulka, tandoori roti, rumali roti, naan, kulcha, etc. A few of these are made using wheat flour, whereas the others are made using maida or all-purpose flour. You can also find various varieties of stuffed parathas that taste delicious with just a dollop of ghee.
What Kind of Flour Can I Use To Make Rotis?
Rotis are made with wheat flour. You can also use multi-grain flour or add any other flour to the wheat flour while kneading. When you just use the wheat flour, the rotis come out nice, round and soft. They can be a little brittle or hard or stretchy based on the other flour you add.
Tips For Making Roti
While it is easy to make rotis at home, you can follow a few tips to make it all easier.
- Always add the water little by little. The dough absorbs the water well, and adding more water can make your dough runny.
- Knead the dough well and cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep it aside for at least half an hour. This process allows the formation of gluten, which will make it easy to roll the rotis and keeps them soft for a long time.
- If you have extra dough, you can always store it for a day in an air-tight container in your refrigerator.
Ingredients
- Wheat Flour – 2 Cups
- Salt – ¼ tsp
- Water – ½ Cup (You can add more if you feel that the dough is stiff)
- Oil – 1 Tsp
- Ghee – 1 Tsp
Instructions
- Take wheat flour in a bowl, and add the salt and water. Knead it well to make a soft dough. Add the oil to the dough and knead it again.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Take a small portion from the dough, and roll it into a ball.
- Flatten it a little between your palms, add some dry flour, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat and round.
- Take a flat pan (you can buy the ones made for rotis online), let it heat up, and then add the rolled roti on top of it.
- Cook it on one side for about 30 seconds, and then flip it over. Make sure to cook it on medium flame.
- Cook till it is completely cooked and starts to puff up. Turn it over and cook it on the other side.
- Once cooked, take it off from the pan, and add a little ghee on the top. This helps keep the rotis soft.
- Serve hot rotis with dal or curry of your choice.