Roti, Chapati or Phulka is an Indian flatbread made using whole wheat flour. Its a simple everyday bread in most Indian households. Here is how to make perfect soft roti recipe.
I am sure, everyone knows what Roti is!
A thin and round Indian bread which is made with whole wheat flour, traditionally known as atta.
Every home makes Phulka or Chapati for lunch and dinner, especially in North India.
Where rice is a part of everyday food in South India, phulka is a must in North Indian everyday meals.
Easy to make and quick, it is also great to eat to keep your digestive system healthy.
Making perfect round roti is also a task and it’s not that easy to get it right with the first try.
If not made in the right way, it can get hard and you will not be able to enjoy that soft soft phulka.
Therefore, make sure you use the right quantity of ingredients, knead the dough properly, and shape it well to get perfect phulka.
If you are making it for the first time or want to learn how to make this bread, you can give this recipe a try
What is Roti?
It is a very broad term which means any Indian bread.
But popularly, it’s used for the simple everyday bread that’s made in every Indian household and it’s also called phulka or chapati.
To make chapati, you just need two ingredients – whole wheat flour and hot water.
How to make Roti soft?
Many people add room temperature water to their dough to make Roti, but if you add hot water to knead the dough, you will get comparatively softer Rotis.
It denatures the gluten protein, resulting in soft dough.
Also kneading the dough well, is a key to make soft phulka.
Roti vs Naan
Both these Indian flatbreads are popular and you can find them in almost all the North indian restaurants.
Roti is an everyday affair that is made with whole wheat flour and is cooked on tawa or a flat skillet, whereas Naan is made only during special occasions, made with all-purpose flour, is leavened, i.e. uses yeast, and is cooked in a tandoor.
You can also cook a Naan on tawa, but using a different technique.
Is it good for health?
Yes, it is good for health.
It is an excellent source of fiber, which helps lower blood cholesterol levels, prevents constipation and keeps your digestive system healthy.
Serving Suggestions
It is a versatile bread that goes with almost all the Indian Sabzis, Curries and Dals.
So you can serve it with any sabzi, curry or dal of your choice.
You can also make many recipes such as Poha, Cutlet etc with the leftover chapati.
Which pan is best to make Roti?
A good quality Tawa or Flat skillet is best to make Roti.
In India, the tawa that we use to make chapati is very slightly curved from the center but any heavy bottom flat skillet will work fine.
How to make Phulka on induction?
To cook it on induction, place the phulka on a flat cast iron skillet and let it cook for about a minute or till you see brown spots appearing on it.
Now flip it and cook from the other side too.
Once you see brown spots appearing on the other side too, flip the chapati again and keep pressing the sides using a cotton cloth so that it fluffs up and cooks evenly.
Once it is cooked properly, take it out and serve.
Chapati Variations
You can also try the variations of chapati recipes, which you can make for your everyday meals – Naan, Punjabi Missi Roti, Khamiri Roti, Masala Jowar Roti and Multigrain Roti.
Add beet, spinach or methi puree in the flour and make these chapathi even more nutritious.
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Step by Step Recipe
Take flour in a bowl.
Add water little by little and knead to make a soft dough.
Knead the dough from the knuckles of our hand for 3-4 minutes until it is smooth.
Cover the dough and keep aside for 20 minutes.
Knead the dough once again and divide it into 8-10 equal size balls. Take one ball and slightly flatten it.
Dust and roll to make 6 inch circle. Roti should be thin from the edges than the centre.
Heat a tawa and when the tawa is hot, transfer the roti on it. Cook until light brown spots appear on the surface.
Flip the roti and cook for 3-5 seconds. Using a tong, cook it on the direct flame until puffed up and nicely browned. Apply ghee and serve hot.
Roti Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- Hot Water (as required)
Instructions
- Take flour a bowl.
- Add water little by little and knead to make a soft dough.
- Knead the dough from the knuckles of your hand for 3-4 minutes until it is smooth.
- Cover the dough and keep aside for 20 minutes.
- Knead the dough once again and divide it into 8-10 equal size balls.
- Take one ball and slightly flatten it.
- Dust and roll to make 6 inch circle.
- Roti should be thin from the edges than the centre.
- Heat a tawa and when the tawa is hot, transfer the roti on it.
- Cook until light brown spots appear on the surface.
- Flip the roti and cook for 3-5 seconds.
- Using a tong, cook the roti on direct flame until puffed up and nicely browned.
- Apply ghee and serve hot.
Divya
What brand of flour do you use?
Thank you
Neha Mathur
I generally use Aashirwad.