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Top down view of roti wrapped in a tea towel. A hand folds a roti to show how soft it is.

Roti Recipe – 2 Ingredient Easy Indian Flatbread

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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Kathryn Alexandre
  • 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

Units Scale
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for rolling (or atta flour if you have it)
  • 3/4 cup warm water (add more as needed)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (optional but I prefer to add it)
  • 1–2 tsp neutral oil (for oiling the bowl)
  • Vegan butter for brushing on top (optional)

Instructions

  1. 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).
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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).
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. *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.
  11. 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 tbsp 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

Find it online: https://tastythriftytimely.com/roti-recipe-easy-indian-flatbread/