Indian Flat Bread or Roti
Indian flat bread or roti/chapati is a cuisine that every Indians love! This simple recipe is so simple and so delicious. The best part is it goes with any kind of sides. Rotis are staple in Indian subcontinent and are served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You just cannot have enough of Rotis. It is soft and tender like Mexican tortilla or Nan. It is the thinner version of Nan. Traditionally it is just made with three ingredients- Flour, Water and Salt
When Rotis are layered and stuffed it becomes paratha-another Indian cuisine. Also, it can be stuffed and rolled to make egg rolls, chicken rolls etc. With little modification Rotis can be used in so manydiffernt ways.
Nutritional Value
Calories. 120 calories
Total Carbs. 18.5 g.
Net Carbs. 15.7 g.
Fiber. 2.7 g.
Starch. 14.8 g.
Sugar. 0.1 g.
Sugar Alcohols. 0 g ·
Protein. 3.4 g.
Servings: 6 Servings
Prep Time-10 Minutes
Resting Time-5 -10 Minutes
Cooking-10 minutes
Total Time- 30 Minutes
Ingredients
1. 2 cups All-purpose flour
2. 1 teaspoon salt (sea salt or any kind)
3. 2/3 cups warm water
4. 2 tablespoons of oil or butter(melted)
Video — https://youtube.com/shorts/FK9gPq_ko8Q
INSTRUCTIONS:
Make the dough. 1. In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour and salt. Add butter (melted) or oil and mix it with your hand or fork until the flour is crumbly.
2.Add 2/3 cup warm water. The warmer the water is, softer the dough will be.
Knead until smooth and elastic. Scrape down any dough that sticks to the side, but it should form itself into a ball pretty quickly.
Rest the dough. When you are done kneading, shape it into a ball. Leave it in the bowl, cover with a muslin cloth, and let rest for 5–10 minutes. Recommend resting the dough for longer for better results. Since we haven’t used any yeast, it won’t rise but resting the dough will make the rotis soft.
Roll out the dough. Prepare a work surface with a light dusting of flour. Divide dough into s equal parts. Use your hands to make small balls. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rough circle about 8–9 inches across. It should be rolled out very thin
Instructions
1. Make the dough. In a large bowl or stand mixer, use a fork to whisk together 2 cups bread flour and 1 teaspoon salt. (I prefer kosher salt, but table salt is fine.)
2. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and mix it in with the fork until the flour is crumbly. Make sure to break up any big chunks.
3. Add 2/3 cup warm water. Mix it together with the fork until the dough pulls together. At this point, I start using the dough hook attachment on my stand mixer, but you can also turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Scrape down any dough that sticks to the side, but it should form itself into a ball pretty quickly.
4. Rest the dough. When you are done kneading, shape it into a ball. Leave it in the bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rest for 20–45 minutes. The longer you rest the dough, the softer and more pliable your roti will be, and the easier it will be to roll out. (It will not rise at all, so don’t expect it to look different after the rest period. This is not a yeast recipe.)
5. Roll out the dough. Prepare a work surface with a light dusting of flour. Divide dough into six equal parts. Use your fingers to pinch each piece into a smooth ball. (See photos)
Take one ball and pat it into a disk with your fingers. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rough circle about 8–9 inches across. It should be rolled out very thin, see photos.
(If you want to roll all the dough out at once before frying, stack the sheets, each one separated with a square of parchment paper so they don’t stick together. I prefer to roll out my next piece of dough while I’m frying the first one, so I don’t do this.)
6. Cook the Roti. Set a skillet or large frying pan over medium or medium high heat. Let it preheat for at least a couple minutes so that it’s very hot.
7. Transfer roti dough to the pan. Wait for few seconds, then use a spatula to flip the roti over. If you want, you can spray some oils or butter. Some people prefer it just dry; but adding butter or oil will make the roti softer. Check for light brown spots that appear on the side that is cooking. The top should have a few bubbles. Flip the roti back to the original side just until the brown spots appear. Serve the roti hot with any sides.
8.Store leftover roti in an airtight container.
9.Freezing Roti: Layer your roti between sheets of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other and put it in an airtight container. Store flat in the freezer.
To reheat, you can either let thaw in the bag at room temperature, then reheat gently in the microwave or tawa.
