Rotis or Chapatis are a part of every Indian diet and if we were to invoke our inner Maya Sarabhai, we can call it the Indian Flatbread. Rotis have been a subject of many memes. One of them are that the rotis in arranged marriage are pillowy and soft while in love marriage they are like a charcoal-coloured map of Australia.
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However, making rotis is one of the easiest things to do. It just has two ingredients flour and water. That’s it. Here is how you can make super soft fluffy rotis:
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The Dough: The simplest of doughs, the roti dough has two ingredients: Atta and water. You can use any variety of atta, from multi-grain to sharbati or to be fancy, even gluten free. If you want to add some pizzazz to your dough, add a pinch of salt maybe a little oil. So, for 3 cups of atta, you will need 1 to 1.25 cups of water.
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The Kneading:The secret to soft rotis is kneading. This will also be the secret to your strong and sexy arm muscles. Keep kneading the dough till it is soft and pliable. The test to know if you have kneaded enough is that it doesn’t stick to your fingers, if you press it there is no resistance and if you poke it, it leaves a mark.
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Add water gradually to your flour and start kneading. First, use your fingers to mix the water and the flour. Once it becomes coherent, use the heel of your palms, or knuckles to knead. Repeat it till the dough feels soft.
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The Water: Do you know why the rotis puff up when they are placed on the hot tava or fire? It is the steam that is generated from the water in the dough. So, water is but crucial for you Roti. Use lukewarm water to knead your dough if you want you rotis to be softer. Gradually keep adding water to your dough. Atta keeps absorbing water, so if you keep adding more water, it can absorb it making your rotis softer. However, careful! Don’t overdo it and make it a pancake batter!
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The resting:While not an essential step and definitely not the step to be followed when in a hurry, this step can be a great catalyst for lovely rotis. All resting does is makes the dough softer, more pliable and makes it a lot easier to roll.
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The Rolling:The trickiest part of making rotis is the rolling. To be honest, this one takes a hell of lot of patience and practice. Initially, on this roti journey, don’t get fixated on the shape. Our aim is to make it roundish. So, gently take a small ball of the dough, flatten it between your palms and dust it with raw flour. Roll them out gently with your rolling pin. Don’t put too much pressure or your roti may tear. The noob trick that I learnt for roundish rotis is once you have placed the flattened disc of dough, use the pin and start rolling it at a 45-degree angle using just one the palm. Do it once and flip the dough a little. Repeat the process till you have rolled it thin.
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The Cooking: Make sure your tawa or skillet is hot. If you put your rotis on a cold tawa, it will dry it out. Don’t cook it too long. As soon as you notice a few bubbles on one side, flip it to the other. Then cook it for a few seconds and shift it to the open flame for it puff up. If you are making it on the induction, use a cloth and press down along the sides and it will automatically puff up.
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If you want, you can add ghee or butter as soon as they are done. Now enjoy it with your favourite sabzi or dal. Now you will never take any random comments from weirdos on your roti making skills ever again.
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