Tandoori Roti (Stovetop + Oven)

Make restaurant-style Tandoori Roti at home using my easy recipe. This Indian bread is soft in the center and crisp at the edges and it is traditionally made in clay ovens (tandoor). You can make it at home on a tawa over the stovetop or in an oven (vegetarian).

Here are some more Indian bread recipes that you may like – Naan, Garlic Naan, Khamiri Roti, Punjabi Missi Roti, and Bakarkhani Roti.

Jump to:

• About Tandoori Roti
• Ingredients
• How To Make Tandoori Roti
• Pro Tips By Neha
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About Tandoori Roti

Tandoori Roti is an Indian flatbread made of a mix of wheat flour and all-purpose flour (maida). It’s called tandoori as it is made in a tandoor (clay oven).

Tandoori roti is soft in the center and crispy at the edges and is perfect to serve with dal and curries.

You will find this Indian bread on the menu of all North Indian restaurants. But why wait to go to a restaurant, when you can make it at home?

This roti is traditionally made in a tandoor oven (clay oven) at a high temperature. The tricky part is to get the roti cooked inside out at a certain temperature, so you get a perfectly cooked roti.

But now as we do not have a clay oven or tandoor at home, we will make this roti on a tawa (griddle) over the stovetop or in an oven.

This tandoori roti recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

Ingredients

Flour – I have used a combination of whole wheat flour (atta) and all-purpose flour (maida). But you can also go ahead and make it just with whole wheat flour.

Yogurt – The addition of yogurt (dahi, curd) makes the roti very soft.

Baking Powder – It is the leavening agent and helps the dough to rise, which results in the softness of roti too.

Oil – Oil is used so that your dough is soft and it becomes easy to roll. You can use any vegetable oil or even ghee for this.

Others – You will also need salt, sugar, and ghee.

A little sugar gives a nice caramelization to the roti surface.

You can add lots of chopped garlic on top of the roti and make tandoori garlic roti. Similarly, you can top the roti with cilantro leaves or nigella seeds (onion seeds, kalonji).

How To Make Tandoori Roti

Make The Dough

Mix

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 and ½ cups of whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoon yogurt (dahi)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• in a large mixing bowl (or parat).

Add water, little by little, and knead to make a slightly stiff dough.

Do not add water in one go otherwise, the dough can become too soft. The amount of water will depend on the type of flour used.

Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth and then cover it with a damp kitchen towel and keep it on the counter for 2 hours.

Roll The Roti

Now drizzle 1 teaspoon ghee (or oil) on the dough and knead for 2-3 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 equal parts (golf ball size balls). Make smooth balls from each part.

Take one ball and dust it lightly with dry flour.

Roll the dough ball to make a 5-inch circle. The thickness of roti should be slightly thicker than the regular chapati.

Note – Make sure to not roll the roti too thick otherwise it will not cook properly.

Cook The Roti

Over The Stovetop

Heat a concave iron tawa (griddle, or an iron mini wok) over high heat.

Generously wet the roti with water on one side.

Transfer the rolled roti to the hot griddle with the water side down and cook for 30 seconds.

Note – If the griddle is not enough, the roti might fall off. So make sure to heat over high heat and transfer the roti on it only once it is properly heated.

Now carefully invert the tawa and cook the roti on direct heat until small bubbles and brown spots appear. Keep moving the tawa in a circular motion so that the roti cooks evenly.

Turn the tawa back and cook the roti for another 30 seconds.

Remove it from the tawa. Brush ghee on top and serve hot.

Make all the roties in the same manner.

In An Oven

Preheat the oven to the maximum temperature for 10 minutes.

Place 2-3 rolled roties on a baking tray. If you have a small oven, you can make 2 roties at a time but if your oven is big, then you can bake 4-5 roties in one go.

Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the hot oven and bake for 5-6 minutes or until the rotis puff up and get brown spots all over.

Do not leave them unattended as they burn in the wink of an eye.

Remove the roties from the tray and brush ghee on top. Serve hot.

Before placing another set of roties on the baking tray, make sure it’s not too hot.

Pro Tips By Neha

The dough to make this whole wheat bread should be stiff and not too soft.

Don’t make big rotis at home as it will restrict even heating on the stovetop and you will get undercooked rotis.

While rolling, don’t use too much dry flour. Too much dry flour will not let the roti stick to the cooking surface. Shake off excess dry flour before cooking.

Make sure the tawa is not too smooth and it should be very hot before putting the roti on it. A cast iron tawa is best to make tandoori roti. Do not use nonstick pans to make it.

This roti cannot be made over an electric stove. You either need a direct flame or an oven to make it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

You can serve homemade tandoori roti with vegetable curries, dals, or with chicken or mutton gravies.

I like to serve it with vegetarian curries like Paneer Butter Masala, Paneer Masala, Palak Paneer, etc.

You can serve it with non-vegetarian dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, Mutton Curry, etc, or dal recipes like Dal Fry, Dal Makhani, or Dal Tadka.

Storage Suggestions

Leftover roties can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. However, they will lose their crispy edges and will become soft.

You can reheat them in an oven or in an air fryer until hot and slightly crisp and then serve.

You can also freeze the roties in freezer-safe bags for up to 2 months. Just thaw and reheat before serving.

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Recipe Card