How to Make Soft and Round Roti | How to Knead Atta

Roti or phulka is hand-made flat bread cooked on tawa.

Roti is made of kneaded wheat flour or gehu ka atta, in Hindi. The recipe of roti involves kneading a soft dough of wheat flour with the knuckles of the hand. After kneading, it is kept aside for 15 minutes to settle and then the roti is made. Some people add salt and 1 tsp oil in the flour while kneading the dough for roti. I avoid it.

Kneading the dough plays very important role in making soft roti. The dough should be soft and should be kneaded for at least 10-15 minutes. And then should be left for some time (15-30 minutes) to settle.

Earlier, and still in Indian villages, instead of rotis, chapatis were made on kacha chulha or earthen stove. The chapatis made on the kachha chulha are thick in texture but has much different taste as compared to gas stove. There is a slight difference between chapatis and rotis. Chapatis are flattened with hands while rotis are made with rolling pins. Chapatis are thick but rotis, also called as phulkas, are thin.

I always remember how my mom makes phulka rotis – thin, light and soft. You can keep them for hours and they won’t lose the texture. Feeling homesick

You can have dal and any sabzi with rotis. Or sometimes you can have ghee-cheeni-roti i.e., ghee, sugar and roti. Spread the ghee on roti, sprinkle sugar, roll it and have it or give it to your kids. They will love it. Healthy and tasty! I used to have this ghee-cheeni-roti during my childhood days.

This Roti recipe is divided into two Parts

1. How to Knead the dough
2. How to Make Soft and Round Roti

How to Knead Dough For Roti

Knead the dough and as I had said earlier keep it for 15-30 minutes. Don’t forget to cover the dough.

You can keep the dough in refrigerator for 2 days but keep it covered. Take it out from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before making the roti.

500 gm of wheat flour when kneaded makes around 12-14 rotis.

Ingredients for the Roti Dough

• 500 gm wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup of water

How to make your fluffy Dough for Roti

Take a deep bowl, add wheat flour. Add water slowly. Mix the flour and water, and start kneading the dough with your knuckles. Give it nice punching to make a soft dough. Add water if required. After kneading, keep it aside for 10-15 minutes to make it more smooth.

How to Make Soft and Round Roti

Utensils or equipments required for Roti

• Circular rolling board or chakla or rounded patra
• Rolling pin or belan
• Pliers (tongs) or Chimta
• Tawa Griddle; Iron Tawa is best for Rotis

Method to make your Roti perfectly Round and Soft

Take the tawa or griddle and put it on low flame. By the time the griddle gets hot, follow the given steps.

Divide the dough into small equal round balls.

Take one dough ball, roll it in to dry wheat flour, press with your fingers.

Now, this time, press lightly with your palms. Make it like a thick disc. Press it in circular motion from the edges while moving it with your palm. Now keep the disc on circular rolling board and roll it with the help of rolling pin (belan).

The side in which you are rolling should be very lightly pressed with the rolling pin. Very Lightly, else you won’t get a round roti.

If roti becomes sticky and still in small shape, dust it in wheat flour. Now roll it until it becomes thin.

Now, dust the extra flour from roti, with the help of both hands.

Carefully place it on hot tawa.

After 20-30 seconds, when roti is cooked from one side flip it. Cook for 40 seconds or until light brown. Small dots will start appearing on the roti.

With the help of tongs or chimta, remove half of the tawa from fire; half should be on the flame. Place the roti over flame. And keep it moving in circular motion with tongs.

Your roti will start getting puffy. If it doesn’t, don’t worry, practice will make you perfect

Repeat for all the dough balls.Phulka Roti is ready to be served.

Apply pure ghee or butter or have it plain with dal or any sabzi.

Tips to make your Roti at Home

1. Don’t roll the dough balls in too much wheat flour else the roti will become hard and it will not puff.
2. Don’t pre-heat the tawa too much otherwise your roti can get burnt. While cooking the rotis have an eye on them.

Recipe, Images and Video Shared by Shumayala Khan