What is Roti??
Roti (also known as chapati or phulka) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta, and water that is combined into a dough. There are many variations and it is eaten in many countries. In India, the most popular is this flatbread roti. The other popular variations are paratha, and puri.
In North India, we eat roti almost everyday with some vegetable or meat curry or lentils. Each person eats 2-4 roti depending on their diet.
To make roti, just 2 ingredients are required - whole wheat flour also called atta and water. There is no leavening agent needed in this flat bread. Some people add salt, some oil. However both are not necessary to make roti. Roti looks verysimilar to a tortilla
Even within India, there are variations of how roti is made. Some regions or cultures make them thinner while others a bit thicker. eg. Punjabi's make roti thicker, while Gujrathi's from western India make roti very thin. I will share the easy step-by-step recipe for North Indian style roti below.
Buy sujata chakki atta
How to make roti dough?
In a large bowl or flat plate with high edges, take 2 cups of whole wheat flour.
Slowly start adding water and mix with your hand. Don't add all water at once. Keep adding water as needed, while mixing.
Once the dough starts to form, do not add more water. I added a bit more than ¾ cup of water to make the dough. The amount of water will vary depending on the brand of whole wheat flour.
Make the dough smooth by kneading it with your fist. Add some water to your hand and knead. 2-3 times. The more you knead the more softer the chapatis will be. When you press your finger against the dough, it should leave an impression. This is the right consistency of the dough.
Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 15 mins and up to 30 mins. This helps gluten to release and the dough becomes more elastic. Open and knead once again.
You can apply some oil to make the dough edges less sticky. but this is not necessary to get soft rotis. Dough should be soft. not hard (hard is best for puri's). Same dough for roti can be used to make paratha/aloo paratha.