Roti (Indian flatbread)

Made with just two ingredients, roti is an essential part of many Indian meals, and Anurag Aggarwal describes it as his favourite Indian bread. His basic recipe can be tweaked to add herbs or salt, the dough can be refrigerated for several days, to use when it suits, and the cooked roti can be frozen for later, too.

Roti (Indian flatbread). Credit: Quadrille / Rita Plats

• makes

  8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 g (9 oz) roti/chapati flour, plus extra for dusting
• 125 ml (4 fl oz) water
• Melted ghee or butter (optional), to serve

Optional extras (add these to the dough)

• Salt, to taste
• Chopped/dried herbs of your choice

Resting time: 15 minutes

Instructions

1. First, make the dough: Place (or sift) the flour in a large bowl and make a little well in the middle. Measure out 125ml (4fl oz) water. Add half to the well then, using your fingers, start mixing the dry flour towards the centre to incorporate. After 1-2 minutes, you will get a very dry and crumbly dough. Now using your whole palms, start kneading the dough while adding the rest of the water, a little at a time. The dough will start coming together and you will have an even ball after 3-4 minutes.
2. Dust some extra flour on a flat surface and start kneading the dough ball using both heels of your palms alternately. If the dough still feels a bit dry, add a splash more water, or if it is too wet, then dust with more flour. The proportion of the water in the dough will depend on the type/quality of the flour.
3. In a few minutes, you will have a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a damp dish towel and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The dough can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days – just bring it back to room temperature before use.)
4. Knead the dough once again for 1–2 minutes and divide it into 8 equal-sized balls.
5. On a clean, flat surface, sprinkle some flour, then press one dough ball into a thick disc using your hands. Now flip over the small disc and sprinkle it with some more flour, so that it doesn’t stick to the surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it evenly to make a thin, round disc with a thickness of around 2 mm.
6. Preheat a large, flat pan over a medium heat, then carefully place the rolled roti into the pan. Cook it for a minute on each side. You will notice small brown blisters developing.
7. Using a folded kitchen towel, start pressing the roti gently in the middle while spinning it at the same time. Once it starts to puff up, almost into a balloon disc, flip it and do this again. Be careful not to burn your fingers on the hot steam.
8. Using a flat spatula, lift the roti out of the pan and keep it warm in a dish towel or foil-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining dough.
9. You can enjoy roti with any curry as it is, or spoon over or brush the roti with a little melted ghee or butter before serving to make it extra special. To store the roti for later, wrap them in foil or a clean dish towel to keep them soft and moist, or freeze them in an airtight bag. Then just reheat from frozen in a hot pan.

Author’s note

Roti is the blood of north Indian cuisine. Sometimes, in rural areas, people refer to the overall meal as ‘roti’. Being the simplest yet most essential part of a meal, roti has earned first place in my eyes when it comes to Indian breads. Amazingly, it uses only two ingredients: flour and water. The taste and texture will differ from person to person, so I will be curious to know how your roti tastes when you try this recipe.

This is an edited extract from Indian Made Easy by Anurag Aggarwal (Quadrille).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.