Whole Wheat Indian Bread(Roti or Chapati)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Rotis (also called as Chapatis) are the most common type of Indian flatbread made from whole wheat flour
Author:
Recipe type: Breads
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 3-4
RecipeIngredients
  • Whole Wheat flour 3½ cups
  • salt ¾ tsp
  • Olive Oil 1 tsp plus ½ tsp
  • Water 1 cup plus between 4 to 6 tbsp
  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour (for dusting and rolling the dough)
RecipeInstructions
  1. Take a large mixing bowl. Add the flour to it and the salt and oil as well.
  2. Now add first 1 cup of water to it and use your hands to mix the water with the flour . The mixture will be sticky at this point but still not sticky enough to form a ball.
  3. Next slowly add (and this is the tricky step so add water very little at a time) 1 tbsp of water at a time till the dough gets further moistened and pliable. If the dry still feels hard and dry at places, that means it needs more water. So you will need between 4 and 6 tbsp of water and when the dough is soft and it comes together and you are able to knead it without it sticking to your hands, then its done. You can add the additional ½ tsp of oil at the end just to remove any stickiness and make the dough smooth. Now keep the dough covered for about 15 -30 minutes or so.
  4. Before starting to roll the rotis, place a shallow pan (non stick or otherwise) on the stove and start the heat.
  5. After the dough has rested a little, it becomes even more smoother to work with and now form small balls (ping pong ball size) from it. Take a plate and add the extra flour to it. Now dip the balls into the flour on the plate and then press the ball to form a flat round and start rolling it to form a thin circle. Try to roll the roti as thin as you can using extra flour to dust the roti as you continue to roll it.
  6. Now immediately take the roti and place on the heated pan on the stove. At this point the heat should be on medium. Wait for about 20 seconds and then flip the roti using a flipper. Wait for another 15 seconds and after that you can do one of two things:
  7. A)If you have a gas stove, then you can take the pan out of the burner and use a pair of tongs to place the half-cooked roti directly on the flame. The roti should inflate like a balloon. Then turn again to the other side and transfer after 5 seconds to a plate or a container.
  8. B) If you have an electric stove, then you will just continue cooking on the same pan flipping it back and forth a couple of times till both sides have a few small brown dots on them which will indicate that they are cooked well.
  9. You can apply some butter or ghee onto the roti while its hot.
Notes
1.While you are making the dough, if you feel the dough has become too sticky - don't panic. Just add a little more flour and continue the process after all you just need to get the right balance of flour and water.
2. The above recipe is based on Indian brands of whole wheat flour available through Indian grocers. If you get organic whole wheat flour from other stores, the proportion of water needed may be different. But again refer to #1 above.
3. When you cook the rotis on the pan, make sure you don't cook them for too long than necessary otherwise they will become hard (like pappadums!)
Recipe by Cook2Nourish at https://cook2nourish.com/?p=339