This easy roti recipe is my absolute favourite flatbread to make alongside all my curries, rice dishes, and soups. Once you see how simple it is to make, it might become a regular for you too!
2 ingredients
Made from whole wheat flour
Delightfully soft
So simple to prepare
And it costs only cents to make!
What Is Roti
Cook With Manali has a great blog post explaining what roti is, how she enjoyed it as a child, and how she learned to make it. Manali explains that roti is an “everyday Indian flatbread” and was a staple for her growing up.
Over the past few years I have tried making naan bread (perhaps a more Westernized Indian flatbread) at home. Since naan requires either yeast or yogurt to make the dough rise and produce a soft bread I have always tried to find a way to make it as simply and quickly as possible. I also prefer to make breads with whole wheat flour as much as possible so I experimented with whole wheat naan bread and then realized that what I should be making… is roti!
Roti is traditionally made with whole wheat flour so there is no substitution needed there. Better yet, it requires no yeast or leavening agent at all. All you need is flour and water.
This easy Indian flatbread does have a more rustic whole wheat flavour compared to the soft and pillowy naan bread. But it is really delicious in its simplicity and is the perfect accompaniment to a flavourful curry.
How To Make This Easy Roti Recipe
Best of all, I find this easy roti recipe so simple (and fun) to make.
- The dough comes together in less than 10 minutes.
- It rests for 30 minutes.
- And it is cooked in 15-20 minutes or less depending on how many roti you are making.
Since it is best to let the roti dough rest for 30 minutes, I like to prepare the dough before I start making a curry or whatever I am serving the roti with and then cook the roti right before serving.
Traditionally, roti is made from just atta flour, which is a wholemeal flour, and water. Since this everyday flatbread was typically eaten with other flavourful things, no extra flavourings needed to be added.
I deviate from the most traditional way of making roti by using all purpose whole wheat flour instead of atta flour (since that is what I always have on hand). I also add a bit of salt to the dough because I love tasting this roti on its own and salt helps to bring out the nutty flavour of the flour. You can absolutely omit the salt if you prefer.
- Simply mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Slowly add only as much water as is needed to help the dough come together.
- Knead the dough by hand for 4-5 minutes until it is soft and pliable.
- Let the dough rest, covered with a damp towel for 30 minutes.
Preparing To Cook Your Roti
Once you are ready to cook your roti, grab a pan that you can safely heat over medium to medium high heat. I don’t oil the pan at all because if the temperature accidentally gets too high the oil will start smoking. For this reason, I like to use a pan that can withstand being heated dry. Traditionally, a tawa and often an open flame are used to cook roti but I choose a good non-stick pan or a cast iron skillet.
Heat your pan before you try and make your first roti. The pan should be hot enough that the roti starts cooking right away but not too hot that it will burn really quickly. If the dough burns it will often tear when you try to flip the roti over which will prevent the roti from puffing up and getting soft.
- Heat your pan to medium or medium high heat
- Tear the dough into ping pong sized balls or cut it equally into 8 portions.
- Roll each piece of dough into a ball (keep the balls of dough covered as you work so they don’t dry out)
- On a lightly floured surface, flatten a ball of dough with your palm and roll it into a thin circle (about 6-7 inches in diameter).
- The dough should not be very sticky and should be easy to work with. If your surface is lightly floured the dough will actually start to move itself into a circular shape as you roll!
- You want the dough to be thin but not paper thin which can also cause it to burn.
Easily Cook Your Roti At Home
- Place the rolled roti onto the hot pan.
- In about 30 seconds you should see bubbles forming in the dough.
- Flip the roti to the second side (the first side should have nice brown spots).
- Cook the roti on the second side for 1-2 minutes. The roti should puff up now. If it is not puffing up you can press on the sides of the roti with a spatula or a cloth and this will encourage steam to build up inside the roti.
*Not all of your roti will puff up and that’s ok. As you practice and get better at kneading and rolling the dough you will likely have better luck at making roti that puff up and turn out really soft.
When your roti is cooked, remove it from the pan and brush it with vegan butter if desired. Cover the finished roti with a towel so they stay nice and soft and repeat the process with the remaining dough.
How To Store Roti
It is best to enjoy this roti fresh and warm. You can add a clean damp cloth or paper towel in with leftover roti when you wrap them to help maintain some moisture. I tend to just wrap them and then reheat them on the stove. Once reheated the roti will soften again. They won’t be as soft and pliable as when they are fresh but they are still tasty.
Another handy tip for this easy roti recipe is that you can make the roti dough in advance and let it rest in the refrigerator. Just bring the dough back to room temperature before you try and roll it out. I like to do this if I have prepared the other parts of the meal in advance and I can make the roti fresh when I reheat the main meal.
Recipe Cost
This easy roti recipe makes at least 8 roti and costs us just over $0.50 Canadian.
If we were to order roti as a side from a restaurant we would pay two to three dollars and likely get a maximum of 4 roti.
I love to have this roti alongside my Easy Vegan Red Lentil Curry and my Red Lentil Curried Vegetable Soup.
Let me know in the comments below if you try this easy roti recipe and if your roti puff up!
Print
Roti Recipe – 2 Ingredient Easy Indian Flatbread
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy roti recipe takes just 2 ingredients & less than $1 to make. Soft, made with whole wheat flour, & perfect for your favourite curry!
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for rolling (or atta flour if you have it)
- ¾ cup warm water (add more as needed)
- ¼ tsp salt (optional but I prefer to add it)
- 1–2 teaspoon neutral oil (for oiling the bowl)
- Vegan butter for brushing on top (optional)
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. (Traditionally salt is not always used because roti is typically eaten with something that is already salted so you can leave it out if you prefer).
- Make a well in the flour. Slowly add the warm filtered water and use your other hand to mix it with the flour so you only use as much water as is needed to get the dough to come together. If you need more than ¾ cup add just a teaspoon at a time. (If you happen to add too much water you can add an additional small amount of flour until the dough is no longer sticky).
- Knead the dough in the bowl for 4-5 minutes until the dough is a smooth ball, feels softer, and lightly springs back when you press an indent.
- Using a clean bowl if needed, rub oil in the bowl and place the ball of dough in the oiled bowl, cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough relax for 30 minutes. Oiling the bowl will prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl.
- After 30 minutes lightly knead the dough just a couple of times and slice (or pull) the dough equally into 8 pieces. Roll the pieces into small balls and keep them covered with the damp towel so they don’t dry out.
- Heat a pan over medium to medium high heat. The pan needs to be hot enough that the roti cooks right away but if it’s too hot the roti can burn quickly and a hole can form which prevents the roti from puffing up. Getting the right temperature on your oven and with your pan might take a little bit of experimentation. *I don’t have a tawa so I use a good non-stick or cast iron pan (I prefer to not oil the pan because it is more likely that the oil can smoke if the pan is too hot).
- Flatten a ball of dough into a disc with your palm on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a thin circle about 6 inches in diameter. This dough should not be very sticky so it should even move around on the surface and move itself into a bit of a circle as you roll. If the dough is too thin this is another way that it can burn quickly on the pan and tear so you don’t want it to be paper thin.
- Carefully place the flattened circle of dough on the hot pan and cook on the first side for roughly 30 seconds until it looks dry and has started to bubble up. Carefully flip the roti. The first side should have some nice brown spots. The roti should puff up now and you can continue cooking it on this second side for another 1-2 minutes. If the roti doesn’t puff up you can press on the sides of the roti with a spatula or a cloth and this pressure can encourage steam to build up inside the roti.
- Once the roti is cooked all the way through and has nice colour, remove it from the pan and transfer to a plate. The roti will deflate once removed from the heat and you can brush it with vegan butter if desired. Cover the finished roti with a cloth so they don’t stiffen while you finish cooking the remaining roti.
- *If your roti doesn’t puff up, the pan might either be too cold or too hot which can create tears in the dough where steam escapes. If the dough doesn’t puff up the roti won’t be as soft and will have a tougher texture and can even be almost cracker-like. Try to adjust your heat and then continue with the same process with the remaining balls of dough.
- Roti is best served fresh with curry or even my Red Lentil Curried Vegetable Soup. Leftovers can be wrapped, refrigerated, and heated back up on a dry pan so they can soften again.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $0.52 CAD. A side order of roti from a restaurant would cost us $2 – $3.
If you want to make the dough in advance, you can let it rest in the fridge for longer and then allow it to come back to room temperature before you roll it out.
Traditionally atta flour is used for roti which is a wholemeal flour but milled differently than all purpose whole wheat flour. If you have atta flour your roti will likely be even softer but all purpose whole wheat flour also works. Some recipes add 1-2 tablespoon of a neutral oil to the dough but I find I can make soft roti without adding oil so I tend to leave it out.
I have found differences in how much the roti puffs up between different brands of flour. If you’re in Canada, I have had the best results with Robin Hood whole wheat all purpose flour.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Resting Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: Indian
Carmen
Just made some roti to have with your cauliflower stem curry and YUM! This is going to be my new go-to bread! Yum yum yum!
Kathryn Alexandre
Thank you so much for giving it a try Carmen and I’m so glad to hear you love it and will be making it again. Thank you for the lovely star rating! I was shocked at how simple this is so I’m glad it’s a recipe that caught your eye.