Atta/chapati flour is a finely ground whole wheat flour. [3] X Research source It’s the traditional choice for making roti. If you can’t find chapati flour or don’t have it on hand, you can substitute whole wheat flour. Because it is a heavier flour, though, you should consider using a mixture of half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour to more closely approximate the texture of chapati flour. You may even use only all-purpose flour in the recipe if that’s all you have available. If you go this route, though, you may need to use less water. Be sure to pay attention to the consistency and texture of the dough as you mix; we’ll explain more about this in the following steps. Additionally, if you use only all-purpose flour, your roti won’t have as chewy and nutty of a flavor as traditional roti.
Ghee is a clarified butter which has been simmered until all of the moisture has evaporated and the milk solids have begun to brown. Ghee has a nutty, carmel-like flavor and color. Ghee has a very high smoke point (almost 375°) and is thus well-suited for frying. It’s readily available at Middle-Eastern and Indian markets and specialty food shops, or you can make your own ghee at home. [4] X Research source
Make sure that your hands are clean if you are mixing the dough by hand. If using a mixer, mix on low speed, or if using a food processor, pulse a few times until you see flakes.
Be sure not to add the water too quickly; you don’t want your dough to be too sticky or you won’t be able to roll it out. If you are using a mixer or a food processor you may have to stop on occasion to scrape down the sides of the bowl before mixing/pulsing more. The finished dough should be soft and slightly sticky, though you should be able to peel it off your hand. If it sticks to your hands, it is too wet, and you should add a bit more flour.
The amount of time you need to spend kneading the dough is flexible, and depends upon the strength of your kneading or your kitchen appliance. You are aiming at producing a pliable, stretchy dough that you’ll be able to roll out. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/0/09/Make-Roti-Step-6Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Make-Roti-Step-6Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/0/09/Make-Roti-Step-6Bullet1. jpg/aid42831-v4-728px-Make-Roti-Step-6Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">
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Letting the dough rest will result in softer rotis. The gluten you formed during the kneading process will relax, and any air bubbles will have a chance to be worked out of the dough. [5] X Research source
You can test the heat of your griddle by dropping a pinch or two of flour on the surface. When the flour browns, you’ll know that your cooking surface is hot enough. Most roti recipes recommend heating your cooking surface while you are rolling out the dough. If you are new to this, though, the rolling process may take a bit of time, in which case you don’t want your griddle to get too hot or start smoking. If that is the case, you can wait to heat up your griddle.
Move your rolling pin constantly in order to get as circular of a shape as possible. Envision a clock when you roll: Roll up from six o’ clock to twelve o’ clock, then up from seven o’ clock to one o’ clock, etc. Be sure to flip the dough circle regularly so that the underside does not stick to the surface, and be sure to sprinkle more flour on the dough and the rolling surface as needed. Aim for a circle that is about 6-8" in diameter, but be sure not to roll the dough too thin. If it’s too thin, holes will develop or the dough will stick.
Don’t be afraid to rotate the roti so that it doesn’t stick or overcook in any one area. You can also flip it back over to brown up the other side a bit more. Depending upon how hot your cooking surface is, you may need to take more or less time in between flips. Pay closer attention to how the roti is browning as opposed to how long it has been cooking.
