Homemade Roti Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Indian Flatbread

Roti, also known as chapati, chapathi, or phulka, is an unleavened Indian flatbread made from a blend of stone-ground whole-wheat flour and water. To make roti, cooks knead the flour mixture until it forms a soft dough that they can roll into six-inch rounds and cook over a low flame or in a flat skillet until the flatbread develops a few of its signature dark brown spots.

You can serve roti alongside most dishes in the vast canon of Indian cuisine, from saucy, spiced curries to vegetarian dishes like aloo gobi, matar paneer, chana masala, chole (chickpeas), or matar paneer. They’re a natural complement to freshly steamed basmati rice (or jeera rice with whole cumin seeds), yogurt relishes like cucumber raita, assorted chutneys, and comfort foods like dal (lentils or mung beans).

Making roti requires practice and a bit of intuition. Knowing when the dough is just right (the texture of an earlobe is a common example) and when to flip it to get those nice brown spots comes with practice. Here are a few tips to consider:

1. 1. Use the right flour. You can find atta, the whole-wheat flour used to make roti, at Indian grocery stores or online. It has a finer texture than standard whole-wheat flours, which results in tender, flaky layers like those in a flour tortilla. If you can’t find atta, whole-wheat pastry flour is a good substitute.
2. 2. Wipe the pan between batches. To prevent excess flour from scorching in the pan, give it a quick wipe with a dry kitchen towel between batches of roti. Reducing the heat while you roll out your next roti will help regulate the temperature and ensure each roti doesn’t burn. Turn the heat to medium when you’re ready to cook.
3. 3. Flavor the roti dough. If you prefer, add a pinch of salt to the flour or a teaspoon or two of jaggery, an unrefined sweetener made from sugar cane or palm sap.

quite interchangeable. Here are the main differences between the breads:

• Ingredients: Naan is a leavened bread consisting of white flour, like all-purpose flour (maida), yeast, and plain yogurt (curd), served as-is or seasoned with various ingredients, like garlic naan or onion naan. Roti is an unleavened flatbread made from whole-wheat flour and water (though some recipes may also call for oil and salt).
• Cooking method: Roti are typically cooked on a flat frying pan, griddle, or skillet known as a tava or tawa, or directly over a gas stove-top grate. Naan bread is traditionally cooked in a tandoor clay oven or grilled.
• Texture: Naan is dense, chewy, and pillowy, while roti has more of a tender, flaky structure similar to a flour tortilla. A roti-style dough layered with fillings is known as paratha.
• Uses: In India, roti are an everyday kind of flatbread—easy to pull together and mild enough to complement any meal. Naans are typically enjoyed for special occasions or at Indian restaurants.