Indian Roti style bread without oven, a very easy step by step recipe
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Total: 1 h 5 min Diners: 8
Although probably the best-known Indian bread is naan bread, the country’s tradition marks roti – also known as chapati depending on the area – as even more popular, perhaps because its preparation, without yeast, is even simpler. Other no-bake flatbreads, for example, could be Mexican wheat tortillas, Chinese vegetable-filled bread or English crumpets.
Rati is the perfect accompaniment to assorted curries or dahl and is generally known as such in northern India. The secret? Only the practice to handle the dough and get the right texture, stretch it well and cook it just right. The proper flour for it, atta, is more complicated to find, but any whole wheat option will be perfect for the task. It is the same flour used for parathas and puri breads.
The addition of the final ghee, or butter, is completely optional. There are many, many places that do not incorporate it, but I particularly like the point it gives.
How to make Indian restaurant roti bread
Ingredients
. Spelt or whole wheat flour (atta), 270 g Water, 180 ml Salt, 7 g Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons Butter or ghee, 25 g
Step 1
Put the whole wheat flour (atta) in a large bowl and add the water, oil and salt right there. Start stirring everything with the help of a fork, so that your hands don’t get too greasy at least at the beginning. Depending on the type of flour you may need to use a little more or even a little more water, you will have to see. The ideal is to get a slightly sticky dough but manageable
Step 2
When you have achieved the union of everything in the same dough, it will be time to start kneading. You have to generate pressure with the palm of your hand and with your knuckles. Another option is to put everything in a kneading robot and that makes us the task.
Fold the dough over itself helping you with the palms of your hand and knead again with your knuckles. Do this constantly, stretching slightly and folding again. Another trick that works very well is to punch the dough and fold it over itself. Resting for 5 minutes from kneading to kneading works well because it relaxes the gluten.
We will have to knead until the dough is smooth and not too sticky, that it feels taut, a little stiff and without lumps. The dough will be ready when you press it with a finger and the mark remains on it.
Step 3
Make a ball with the bread dough and wrap it in a floured cloth that does not have any odors (be careful with the softener and with the soap from the washing machine). Let it rest like this for 30 minutes.
Step 4
After this resting time, give the dough another light kneading and divide it into approximately 12 equal parts. They should weigh about 36 grams each of the balls.
Step 5
Shape a ball – meanwhile cover the others so that they do not dry out, with a slightly damp cloth – and when it has the shape of a ball, flatten it between your hands and roll it in flour, so that it does not stick.
Step 6
Place the floured dough disk on the table and roll it out very well with the help of a rolling pin or something similar. Be careful not to flatten it too much because it will stick, lift it from time to time, adding more flour if necessary.
Step 7
Heat a large frying pan or a cast iron griddle (tawa, the original one) very well and when it is very hot put the roti on top of the griddle. Let it cook for about 15-20 seconds until we see some bubbles start to come out.
Turn the roti over because we don’t want the first area to overcook and let it cook on the other side, some darker pieces are allowed but not much more than that.
When the roti is done, quickly brush with ghee or melted butter and remove to a plate. Continue with all the rest of the dough by layering the rotis on top of each other.
Prepare the roti on top of each other.
