Easy Tandoori Roti (Stove Top)
Make whole wheat tandoori rotis on stovetop, perfectly crispy on the edges and soft in the center, right in your kitchen! Easy recipe with step by step instructions!
Servings: 7 roti
Ingredients
- 300 g atta (durum whole wheat flour) I use Ashirvaad brand
- 75 g plain greek yogurt or thick curd
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 pinch baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- Room temperature water to knead the dough about ¾ cup or as needed
- Ghee or butter for smearing on cooked roti
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, oil and yogurt.
- Using your fingers, work the flour mixture so that the yogurt is incorporated.
- Gradually add water and knead to form a soft pilable dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. You could use little oil towards the end for kneading to smoothen the dough. If you want to use stand mixer or food processor for making the dough, absolutely go for it!
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 30-35 minutes.
- Place a clean cast iron griddle (concave iron tawa or a flat pan) over high heat and let it get very hot. Make sure that the iron pan is not greasy. If there is oil on there, the roti won't stick. I used a 10 inch cast iron griddle, you can use any size tawa that you have at home, just make sure that its larger than your roti size.
- Divide the rested dough into 6 or 7 equal parts. For consistent-sized rotis, you could use a food scale to weigh the dough portions. Adjust the size of the rotis to your preference, whether big or small, and portion the dough according
- Roll the dough portions between your palms into smooth balls. Keep the dough balls covered while you roll them one by one.
- Lightly dust your work surface as well as the rolling pin with dry flour. Take one dough ball, sprinkle dry flour on it and roll it out into a circle, about 6-8 inches in diameter, using a rolling pin. You could roll into an oval shape too. Dust with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Don't roll very thin
- Using a pastry brush, brush off excess flour from the roti before applying the water.
- Generously brush water on one side of the rolled dough(½ tablespoon to 1 tablespoon).
- Lift carefully with hands and place the rolled roti on the hot skillet, wet side down. Let it cook for about 25-30 seconds until you see bubbles start to form on the surface.
- Immediately flip the tawa upside down over direct flame to cook the other side until you see brown spots. You will have to move round the tawa to make sure that all parts of roti get the char. I wear baking gloves while lifting the tawa.
- Flip the tawa back and using a flat metal or wooden spatula, remove the cooked roti from the pan. Brush it with ghee or butter for extra flavor and softness.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls.
- STORING- I usually make a small batch (7-8 rotis) and if we dont eat them, I store them in the fridge for 1-2 days. If you want to freeze, insert parchment paper or wax paper in between rotis (they tend to stick to each other).To reheat, I usually add them to a toaster oven preheated to 400F for 1- 2 minutes. Or if you are in a hurry, microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Notes
- Dough - Make a soft and pliable dough. The dough should be soft to the touch, but not sticky. If you will make a smooth dough, your rotis will have a smooth edges because the dough will be easier to roll. Conversely, if the dough is too firm, your rotis will taste dry and will have cracked edges.
- Rest The Dough - When we knead the roti dough, we are basically working up the gluten in the flour. Resting the dough helps hydrate the flour as well as relax the gluten and the dough becomes pliable, hence softer, delicious tandoori rotis.
- Rolling- Roll the tandoori roti thicker than basic rotis. This contributes to the soft center of the rotis.
- Don't skip the salt in the recipe. I tested it with both salted and unsalted dough, and the salted version tasted and felt better. Since these rotis are thicker than home-style ones, a bite of well-seasoned dough definitely enhances the taste.
- Cook Quickly - My biggest learning was from initial attempts when some rotis fell off the griddle because I left them too long on the hot surface. The water, acting as glue, evaporated, causing the roti to slide off when I tried to flip it.
- All kinds of vegetarian and non vegetarian curries pair amazing with tandoori roti. Here in the images, I have served it with paneer korma.
- Dal (Lentils) - Dal-roti with a fresh kachumber salad and a bowl of raita is bliss any day. Dal makhani is one of my personal pairings with tandoori roti.
- Tikka and kebab with a side of green chutney and sliced onion- to die for!
- If you are a die-hard roti lover like me, you really don't need any sides. I enjoy them with humble accompaniments like yogurt, Indian pickles, or jam.