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Home » Breads & Flatbreads

Roti Recipe - Step By Step Roti Making Guide

Published: Oct 30, 2014 · Modified: Feb 22, 2022 by Tanvi · This post may contain affiliate links

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Roti Recipe. Roti or Chapati is the staple humble indian flatbread. It is the daily bread for almost all the Indians. Roti is an unleavened flatbread made with just 2 ingredients - atta ( fine milled whole wheat flour) & water. If you wish ghee or butter can be smeared on warm rotis. It pairs perfectly with any kind of indian dish imaginable- dal, curries, tikkas. I am sharing a ton of pictures in this post to help you make perfect roti each and every time.

Sinfully Spicy - Roti/Chapati, Everyday Indian Flatbread

I can't remember a single meal in my home when there weren't homemade rotis. Mom or grandmother served soft rotis straight off the tawa (griddle)smeared with homemade ghee or with grainy white butter on to everyone's plate. You would hardly count how many you to eat,the ladies of the house took rounds to help each other on occasions like Sunday lunch when the whole family was eating together.Always, there were always plenty for everybody.

Sinfully Spicy - Roti/Chapati, Everyday Indian Flatbread

My badi mummy made the best rotis and parathas. She rolled perfect soft rounds,charred with black spots from the high flame on both sides. My mother makes the second best to her. I might already be sounding obsessive with these sorts of descriptions but trust me in indian homes, especially in northern parts, roti making is a serious business. Roti is after all the revered daily bread, something you start and end your day with.

Sinfully Spicy - Roti/Chapati, Everyday Indian Flatbread

What Is Roti?

Roti is a everyday unleavened flatbread made using whole wheat flour(atta) in indian homes. Some families also refer to roti as chapati.The slight difference is in process of rolling the dough. Chapati is flattened using hands by slapping the dough on a hard surface. Fulka/ phulka is another name used in India for much thinner, puffy rotis.

It would be really surprising but as compared to the naan, which got more popular in the west, in indian homes, naan is a once in a while thing. Naan is something you order when eating at restaurants.When mom made really special exotic curries or we had family gatherings, she would send us with home-made yeasty dough to the street side guy with the tandoor and we came back with stacks of naan for supper.

Ingredients Needed To Make Roti

You just need 2 ingredients to make roti.

  • Atta- Atta is fine milled whole wheat flour. Atta is easily available in any indian store or online. I wot suggest substituting atta with whole wheat flour available in baking aisle of store. Rotis are much darker in color and tough to make with regular whole wheat flour. If you can find sharbati atta which is made from one of the finest wheat variety, go for it. I like using Aashrivad multigrain atta as well.
  • Water- Slightly warm water makes soft rotis.

Optional Items -

Salt - Can be added to dough. I don't.

Ghee- For smearing on cooked rotis. I highly recommend but you can skip.

Sinfully Spicy - Roti/Chapati, Everyday Indian Flatbread

Process of Making Soft Roti (Step By Step Pictures)

Let's get to making some rotis.Shall we? I have invariably used the word 'atta' in my post and recipe. Atta is nothing Hindi for whole wheat flour (atta is used for both dry as well as wet flour as well as the dough)

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-01

Making The Roti Dough

Step1:- Measure the atta (durum wheat flour) and slowly, start adding (warm) water to it.In India, we use a paraat (a utensil made of brass/copper/stainless less specifically for kneading roti dough). The one you see in pictures, is some 40 year old treasure from my grandmother, still going strong.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-02

Incorporate water in a circular motion into the atta with your fingers.Start kneading gently.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti, Flour & Water

As the atta absorbs water,it will start clumping up. Continue to add water till all the dry flour becomes wet, your hands will be mighty messy but the flour starts to come together.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-03

At this point,ensure that the atta is not very dry,try to squeeze it between your palms as if making a fist and it should be soft and sticky (and messy!). Start using your knuckles to knead the atta next.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-10

Use your knuckles to flatten it out and then pull it all together towards yourself using your palm & fingers,then knead again with knuckles to flatten out. Knead this way (flatten and bring together) repeatedly for 5-7 minutes. At any point you feel that the dough is tight or drying out, add a light splash of warm water.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti, Knead dough with both hands

Towards the last 1-2 minutes of kneading, use both hands to knead for a very smooth & elastic dough (this will work up the gluten really fast).You could add a bit to oil while kneading to make it smoother.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-08

Time to rest those gluten.Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for (not more than) 15-18 minutes.You could smear a layer of melted ghee or oil on top but you really do not need it if the proportion of water is correct and you made sure that the dough didn't feel or look dry when kneading dough will stay moist during rest time but starts losing moisture after 20 minutes. If you are not planning to make rotis right away, place the dough into an air tight container with lid and refrigerate.

When ready to make rotis, uncover and divide into equal portions.If you refrigerated the dough, take it out 10-15 minutes before and let sit on kitchen counter.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-09

Roll the Roti Dough

Take each dough portion between palms of your both hands and roll to make as smooth balls as possible. Flatten the balls. Get some loose atta on to the dish. Its time to make rotis!

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-10

Roll each ball in the loose atta and place on a smooth rolling stone or pastry board or kitchen surface. Flatten out lightly from edges using tips of your finger. Using a rolling-pin, start rolling the dough to a flat circle.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-11

Dust the board or the roti as and when required when rolling. Initially, you will need to dust more but it will get easier as you continue.

IMG_5871

It takes practice to get the shape. Even if you don't get perfect rounds its okay,doesnt affect the taste.The trick to roll perfect rotis is that when you are rolling the dough it should also be moving in circular direction by itself. If not, you can move it yourself and flatten from all sides to get a 6-7" round.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-13

Tip :-to get thin edges of rotis is that towards the last 15-20 seconds of rolling, your rolling-pin should be half on the board and half of the roti.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-14

Cook Roti on Tawa

Place a tawa (griddle), I use 12" cast iron on high to heat up. Keep the box lined with kitchen towel near by to store rotis.

Tip:- To find out that the tawa is hot enough, sprinkle a little dry flour on the hot tawa. If the flour darkens, tawa is ready for cooking rotis. Dont forget to wipe out the dry flour before placing the roti.

When the griddle is hot, flour one of your hands and carefully, lift the roti.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-15

Place the roti on the hot tawa.Cook it for 30-40 seconds (this time will depend on thicken of your roti too) on first side,just so you see the surface changing color or trying slightly. I would say about 25% cooked.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-16

Flip using kitchen tongs and let cook for another 30-40 seconds on the other side. You might or might not get charred dots but do not cook on griddle for too long else the rotis will dry out.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-17
Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti-09

Lift the roti with tongs and place it on open flame on the first side directly on fire and very lightly press with tongs to help it puff.Let puff and get charred on first side. About 10-15 seconds.Flip and repeat for the second side. If you storing rotis, you should not let it brown too much else it will dry up. Some people like crispy and chewy rotis, so you can char them to liking.

In case, you have a electrical stove with no flame, see the recipe on how to puff up the rotis.

Sinfully Spicy -Step by Step Making Roti, Puffed

Very gently press on when you puff the second side too. Smear with ghee and wrap in a kitchen towel to store.

Sinfully Spicy - Roti/Chapati, Everyday Indian Flatbread

Serving Roti

Typically, you can serve rotis as a side bread with all sorts of things - curries (both dry & wet) to lentils to as a wrap or fried and a chips or any which way you like. One of my personal favorites is warm roti, smothered with ghee and sprinkled with sugar, rolled up. In India, it is normal to consume rotis for all meals, two, sometimes three times a day, sometimes in our house we serve roti alongside for breakfast or quick lunch too.

One of my close friend once told me a very interesting way to introduce the correct way of eating rotis to the western world."Use roti as a spoon to eat the curry and later eat the spoon", he said. Spot on!

Freezing & Reheating Rotis

In case you want to freeze the rotis (yes it can be done), make all the rotis and let them cool down to room temperature wrapped inside the towel. Then stack them on top of each other with a large piece of wax or parchment paper in between.

When wanting to use the frozen rotis, thaw them in the fridge and warm up on high for 8-10 seconds in the microwave. You can also warm them on a warm tawa.

Sinfully Spicy - Roti/Chapati, Everyday Indian Flatbread

In other news, Sinfully Spicy was featured last week by SBS Australia as a favorite indian food blog in their food section. You could read the feature here.

SBS Australia Food Feature

Roti Recipe

Rot or Chapati is everyday indian flatbread made with just ingredients - whole wheat flour and water. It is unleavened bread that is vegan friendly.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 15 roti
Calories 77 kcal

Equipment

  • Wiide & shallow dish
  • Rolling stone or surface
  • Rolling Pin
  • Kitchen towels
  • Cast iron Griddle or Tawa
  • Tongs

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 cup durum wheat atta (fine ground whole wheat flour made from durum wheat)
  • 1.25 cup warm water or more/less as needed

While Rolling the Dough

  • ¾ cup dry atta

Optional Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon any neutral oil (to moisten the dough when it rests)
  • Ghee to spread on warm, cooked rotis recommended

Instructions
 

Make The Roti Dough

  • In a wide, shallow dish measure and  place the atta. With one hand slowly start adding (warm) water and mixing in circular motion with the fingers of other hand. Incorporate water a little at a time and start to kneading gently.
  • As the atta absorbs water,it will start clumping up into a ball.Continue to add warm water till all the dry flour becomes wet, however, remember not to add too much water at a time.
  • Once a ball is formed, ensure that it is not very dry by trying to squeeze the dough ball between your palms as if making a fist and it should feel soft and very slightly sticky. Start using your knuckles to knead the dough next.
  • Use your knuckles to flatten the dough out and then pull it all together towards yourself, using your palm & fingers, then knead again with knuckles to flatten out. Knead this way (flatten and bring together) repeatedly for 7 to 8 minutes. At any point you feel that the dough is tight or drying out, add a light splash of warm water.The dough should not feel or look dry at any point.
  • Towards the last 1-2 minutes of kneading, use both hands to knead for a very smooth & elastic dough (this will work up the gluten really fast). Once the dough looks and feels really really smooth, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for (not more than) 20-25 minutes.You could smear a layer of melted ghee or oil on top.
    If you are not planning to make rotis right away, place the dough into an air tight container with lid and refrigerate.Else let sit on the kitchen counter.

Roll(Shape) The Roti

  • When ready to make rotis, uncover and divide into equal portions. If you refrigerated the dough, take it out 10-15 minutes before and let sit on kitchen counter)
  • Take each dough portion between palms of your both hands and roll to make as smooth balls as possible. Flatten the balls. Get some dry atta on to the dish.
  • Roll and cover each ball in the loose atta and place on a smooth rolling stone or pastry board or kitchen surface. Flatten out lightly on edges using tips of your finger. Using a rolling-pin, start rolling the dough to a flat 6 oof 7 inch circle. Dust the board or the roti as and when required when rolling. Initially, you will need to dust more but it will get easier as you continue.

Cook The Roti

  • Place a tawa (griddle), I use 12" cast iron on to heat up on high. Keep the box lined with kitchen towel near by to store rotis. When the griddle is hot, flour one of your hands and carefully, lift the roti.
  • Place therolled roti on the hot tawa.Cook it for 20-30 seconds (this time will depend on thicken of your roti too)on first side.
  • Flip using kitchen tongs and let cook on the griddle on the second side for another 25 seconds or so. You might or might not get charred dots but do not cook on griddle for too long else the rotis will dry out.
  • Lift the roti with tongs and place it on open flame on the first side directly on fire and very lightly press with tongs to help it puff.Let puff and get charred on first side. About 10-15 seconds.
  • Flip and repeat for the second side. If you storing rotis, you should not let it brown too much else it will dry up. Some people like crispy and chewy rotis, so you can char a little longer to liking.
  • Smear ghee on the hot rotis and server right away or store then wrapped in a kitchen towel. I line the kitchen towel with a small piece of paper towel, this helps in preventing them from getting soggy.

Notes

  1. Roll the dough very well and as evenly as possible.This helps in puffing up the rotis.
  2. Store the leftover dough in the refrigerator for not more than 1-2 days in an air tight container.
  3. If you are wanting to serve rotis later in the day, you can make ahead them. In this case, add 2 tablespoon of melted ghee while making the dough.They will remain soft.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 73mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2IUCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
Keyword roti recipe, chapati, indian flatbread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Filed Under: Breads & Flatbreads Tagged With: durum atta roti recipe, Easy Recipe, Fats and Oils/Tel, healthy recipe, how to make roti at home, indian cuisine, indian curry, indian festival recipes, indian flatbread, indian food, indian food blogs, indian non vegetarian, indian side dishes, indian street food, indian vegetarian, north indian recipes, Recipe from blogs, roti indian recipe with pictures, step by step indian flatbread/roti/chapati/phulka at home, unleavened breads

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MyKabulKitchen

    October 30, 2014 at 8:20 am

    I know friends who themselves or their moms/mother-in-laws prepare Roti EVERY day for dinner, I cant imagine as it is quite time-intensive , but I love that it makes even the simplest meals I eat at their homes feel special 🙂
    Thanks for sharing all the steps and lovely pictures!

    Reply
  2. Rosa Jeanne Mayland

    October 30, 2014 at 8:31 am

    Congrats on the feature!

    I love Indian flatbreads and your roti/chapati look extremely tempting.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  3. Zarine Mohideen

    October 30, 2014 at 10:18 am

    I've been trying to make good rotis for a long time. I always end up adding too much or not enough water. This post is super helpful!

    Reply
  4. Anjana @ At The Corner Of Happy & Harried

    October 30, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    Congrats on the feature and the lovely tutorial. A must have in every Indian cook's repertoire!

    Reply
  5. A Famished Foodie

    October 30, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    I love a great flatbread. We eat so much of it with Persian food- thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Aruna Panangipally

    October 30, 2014 at 4:48 pm

    What a fabulous post. Such detailed explanation is truly called for because rotis are one of those deceptively simple looking things that take ages to master if you don't know how.

    And I love the fact that you smeared the rotis with ghee. Sometimes, I just eat a fresh roti after smearing some ghee and sprinkling some sugar on it.

    Reply
  7. Shelly

    October 30, 2014 at 5:27 pm

    Making a perfectly round, golden, puffed yet soft roti is an all-indian dream, Lol!!(read it somewhere)
    Never saw such a thorough description of rotis! Very well done.

    Reply
  8. spicesandpisces

    October 30, 2014 at 6:07 pm

    What a gorgeous post. Loved it.

    Reply
  9. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com

    October 30, 2014 at 6:56 pm

    Rotis definitely brings back so many wonderful memories. These are so delectable 🙂

    Reply
  10. indusmathew

    October 30, 2014 at 8:29 pm

    Wonderful, wonderful step by step pics. And the close up pic of the rotis with ghee on it, absolutely yum! No need of any curry on the side, if it is served hot like that!

    Reply
  11. sabine

    October 31, 2014 at 8:12 am

    As a huge fan of all sorts bread, and being unfamiliar with roti so far, I absolutely love your explanations on cultural setting & making of this surely delicious flat bread! I love the pan-fried preparation of it, reminding me a bit of making crêpes (this, and your ghee & sugar way of eating it) . Your photos, both instructional and other ones, work brilliantly with your writing. Long time since reading such an information packed post, merci!

    Reply
  12. manu

    February 23, 2015 at 5:29 am

    wow! great blog!
    thnx to u
    making myself rotis already!

    Reply
  13. Sumit

    April 29, 2015 at 8:50 pm

    Absolutely delicious. I miss roti. Stunning photos

    Reply
    • Tanvi

      April 29, 2015 at 9:25 pm

      Thank you

      Reply
  14. Sumit

    April 29, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    Absolutely delicious and yummy. I miss roti. Stunning photos

    Reply

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