Roti-Chapati-Flat-Indian-Bread
Roti also known as Chapati or Fulka, is Indian flat bread made with whole wheat flour. In North India, roti is part of the main meal. Roti is served with a variety of cooked vegetables, lentils, and yogurt.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour chapati ka atta
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water use as needed
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour for rolling the roti
- 2 tbspa clarified butter or ghee for buttering the roties
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt, and water to make soft dough, adding water as needed. Knead the dough for about one minute on a lightly greased surface to make it smooth and pliable. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set aside at least ten minutes..
- Divide the dough into four equal parts. Make smooth balls and press flat. Before rolling the roti press both sides of the ball on a dry floured surface to make them easy to roll.
- Roll to form a six-inch-diameter circle. Use just enough dry flour to roll the roti, as too much flour will make them dry. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, lightly dust the rotis with dry flour.
- Heat an iron or heavy skillet on medium high heat. To test, sprinkle a few drops of water on the skillet. If the water sizzles right away, the skillet is ready. Place the one roti into the skillet. When the roti start to change color and start puffing flip it over. There will be some golden brown spots.
- Flip again after a few seconds. Using a flat spatula, press lightly on the puffed parts of the roti. This will help the roti puff up. Flip the roti again, until it has light golden-brown spots on both sides.
- Repeat the same process for remaining roties. Butter the roti, the side that is facing the skillet.
- Place the rotis in a container lined with a paper towel. Cover the container after each roti.
Notes
Roti can be kept outside for up to 2 days wrapped in aluminum foil or in a closed container. For later use, roti can be refrigerated for 5-6 days. Re-heat in a skillet
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sudha
March 14, 2021 at 12:40 pmAunty…what flour do you use for making rotis? Also where did you get your iron skillet… looks so good. Any advantage of rolling rotis on a silicone mat. Thank you for the detailed recipe… would love to learn from you!
Manjula Jain
October 9, 2020 at 11:49 amThe texture will be very different
Geena
April 9, 2020 at 11:14 amHi Aunty
Can I use white flour instead? : )
Manjula Jain
April 9, 2020 at 7:14 pmGeena, no it is not going to be roti, it will be okay
angelo
January 30, 2020 at 12:27 pmNamastè Manjula can the naans once cooked be frozen for later use? thanking you in advance Angelo
Manjula Jain
January 31, 2020 at 2:03 amyes heat them in the oven or I really do on a skillet
surabhi foods
February 23, 2020 at 10:58 pmI love the way make chappathi
paul
August 28, 2019 at 11:04 pmmy roti breaks up when I heat up and lift. What am I doing wrong?
Manjula Jain
August 30, 2019 at 4:20 pmmay be dough is too dry and stiff
Vishnu
August 20, 2019 at 3:06 amWhen we were working in Saudi Arabia we learned to love these Indian breads from the many Indians working there. We brought back an electric Chapati maker that presses the Chapatis flat and cooks them at the same time. This is a great timesaver.
leen
April 17, 2019 at 7:16 amhi, im very sensitive about calories so i was calculating for all 4 rotis and ended up with 260 calories, i was wondering how many grams is it for one roti, since i lost my scale, so i can figure out the calories for one of them
L. Parker
August 30, 2019 at 2:26 amIf 4 rotis are 260 kcal, then 1 roti is 65 kcal. You can borrow my scale whenever. 🙂
Heidi Lynn Borden
February 22, 2019 at 12:35 amHello Manjula,
I cannot digest wheat flour. Can I use bread flour for this recipe? Will butter work for this recipe or is the ghee an absolute for this recipe?
Lauren
December 10, 2017 at 9:07 pmThank you so much for your wonderful recipes! I recently moved to a small city in Wisconsin that doesn’t have any Indian restaurants so I’m trying to learn how to cook my favorite dishes myself– your website has made it so much easier (and more fun). My roti turned out perfectly! Thank you again, your website is an amazing resource.
Manjula Jain
December 11, 2017 at 1:38 amLauren, thank you
Manjula Jain
December 11, 2017 at 1:42 amKirti, you used too much baking soda and baking powder, 1/2 kg maida is about 4 cups of maida you needed to use 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.
karen
September 28, 2017 at 10:44 amThank you so much for the simple, clear presentation. You are definitely an earth mother–so grounded and full of love.
Manjula Jain
September 28, 2017 at 10:47 amKaren, Thank you
Bornlove
April 21, 2017 at 1:43 amIt worked here in Tanzania
Bornlove
April 21, 2017 at 1:41 amWell Manjula, I tried to use your recipe in making chapati here in Tanzania. It worked fine, and delicious, and soft. Thanks and be blessed
Saleem
December 16, 2016 at 10:53 amHello Manjula,
First off thank you very much for this website. Your recipes are a staple in our house.
My Grandmother used to make chapatis everyday. I have great memories of her sitting on the floor with her ingredients and rolling board all around her. When she would roll them out she had a particular technique that I was wondering if you were familiar with. She would roll it out about half way and then brush the surface with a very thin layer of ghee. She would then fold the edges into the center like a triangle and then flip it over and roll it out again half way. She would repeat this 3 – 4 times, brushing the surface with ghee and folding the edges into the center before flipping it over and rolling it out. Finally she would roll it out all the way until it was very thin. Then she would put it on the griddle and cook it. Are you familiar with this process of rolling, brushing with ghee, and folding and what was the purpose of it?
Manjula Jain
December 16, 2016 at 12:15 pmSaleem, your grandmother was treating you, the process will make layered and flaky roti.
Lovelyheart
January 29, 2018 at 5:17 pmThis is a wonderful gift, the ghee roti! It is flaky and yummy, like a croissant, but it’s roti. Lucky, you were.
Kiran Noor
June 27, 2016 at 9:14 amManjula aunty , can you please tell me what you use to roll your chapatti on. It looks like greaseproof paper but how is it taped down on the work surface?
Thanks.
Manjula Jain
June 27, 2016 at 11:41 amKiran, I was using Silicone Baking Mat
coline
March 11, 2016 at 3:10 amDear Manjula
I love your very much your website,i am learning to cook with you!
I try many time to make roti like yours and it doesn´t puff up. I just don’t know what I am doing wrong ?
I need help.
thank you!!
Manjula Jain
March 11, 2016 at 10:02 pmColine, knead the dough, it should be soft and smooth but not sticky, try it should work
sana
October 6, 2015 at 6:24 pmhello manjula. i tried your recipe by using 1/2 cup flour and had used only 1/2 cup of water, the batter turned into runny paste. added more flour but the dough remained somewhat sticky and very soft. my rotis did not puff up and turned into papad ( iguess due to over cooking) ? please help ! thank you
lesley
August 25, 2016 at 3:55 pmIf you use 1/2 cup of flour you want to use 1/4 cup of water.
If you use 1 cup of flour you would use 1/2 of water.
Manjula Jain
August 26, 2016 at 4:05 pmLesley, yes approximately
Aishwari
April 10, 2015 at 10:49 pmI want to make 60 chapatis for the party. And i want to make first row chapatis at a time and then i want to bake on Gas.. So how can i do this. I tried with plastic inner but it’s not working..Do u have any more suggestions
Manjula Jain
April 14, 2015 at 5:26 pmAishwari, if you roll all at one time they will be dry, I usually will do 6 at a time that works.
bristol plasterers
April 8, 2015 at 12:19 amwow! great recipe. Going to give this a go. Thanks for sharing this.
Simon
Nicole
March 22, 2014 at 1:49 pmI just came across this and followed your instructions to make the perfect chapati! I used Golden Temple whole wheat atta flour and they came out almost exactly like my Indian mom would make back in Udaipur. Thank you for posting!
Zesti
November 20, 2013 at 8:02 amI really love watching and learning from you Manjula. You have taught me many new ways to prepare foods which are of a completely different culture than mine. I would love to see your family actually eat the foods you prepare, so I know how to serve it correctly.
I have only had authentic Indian food once before. When I lived in Ontario Canada. There was a small Indian Takeout Restaurant, I would order a stuffed Roti? It was amazing! This was a super spicy thick curry stew, of eggplant, potato, squash, onion, chickpeas all wrapped up in a fresh made Roti, served good and hot. I was hoping maybe you could tell me what this is called in your country, and if you have a recipe like this to share with us? Maybe it wasn’t authentic, I don’t really know? I just know it was absolutely delicious, and would love to have it again.
Today I am trying making your recipe for Chapati , and I’m going to make your Chole Palak as well. Thank you for all your easy to follow videos. I look forward to trying many of them!
Paul
November 5, 2013 at 6:53 amDear Manjula
I love your website,i am learning to cook with you!
I try to make roti with whole wheat flour but my flour is very dry,i need to add oil to make it smooth.
And it doesn´t puff up like yours.
What am i doing wrong? do you use a special flour? or my flour is bad?
thank you!!
Shanu
May 22, 2013 at 5:56 amHi aunty,
which brand of whole wheat flour do you use?As my flour makes rubber kind of rotis.
Judith
February 7, 2013 at 11:44 amThe video atates to use 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup warm water. That is wrong–the recipe states 1/4 cup warm water. I tried it like the video indicated and ended up with paste.
Manjula Jain
February 8, 2013 at 7:32 pmJudith,
Sorry this was my big blunder.
Colleen
December 9, 2012 at 3:54 pmThanks For presenting this video. I have made Roti’s on and off for many years always tasty but not always able to get them rise well. I used you method and everyone of them puffed up beautiful.
You seem so sweet, all the best to you and your family over the holiday season and the new year.
Thanks again,
Colleen
swaminathan
December 5, 2012 at 7:38 amYour video presentation is excellent. We don’t get such nice chapathi/phulka in south. Thank you very much for your receipe.
Carl
November 15, 2012 at 6:45 amit looks delicious and I will try it today with some beef curry.
gangala
September 13, 2012 at 2:49 amWow awsome recipe.
sushma
July 9, 2012 at 1:55 pmHi Aunty,
I want to know, what sheet u r using to roll roti. because in america i am not getting proper (flat surface )thing to roll my roti.
U r my inspiration for cooking. and i am new to cooking.
Thanks for ur videos.
Manjula Jain
July 9, 2012 at 6:15 pmsushma
Use any kind of cutting board.
carmen
April 29, 2012 at 5:21 amWhen I first made my turn came about countries. Today I did again and I came out much better and smoother. But I was not swollen all around swell as you. Why?
parshottam mathur
April 26, 2012 at 8:49 amWe going to try. Thank you
Dawn
April 4, 2012 at 1:42 pmHi,
I noticed you mention using a skillet, the roti do not puff nearly enough for me that way. I start on the skillet then put them on the gas stove so they puff up. If you are having trouble with your roti, I suggest this method. Fire is best to cook them in my opinion.
gillthepainter
April 1, 2012 at 12:29 amAn excellent recipe. Thank you so much.
Nice and pliable, making them excellent for a wrap of some sort.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u5SKxwbyKtAdQZXGKjjwidMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink
Lulu
March 13, 2012 at 6:02 pmHell0 Manjula,
Thank you for sharing your recipe, very easy.steps to follow. I will be making roti tonight.
Regards, Lulu
Jean
March 8, 2012 at 3:39 pmHello!
Im trying to live a more healthier way of living and I saw your recipe and I thought it would be good for my diet and also my budget.
Im kinda new at cooking and I tried all purpose flour instead of using a commercialized one, was it a bad idea? and is it suppose to be somewhat soft or gooey in form or did i mess it up?
Merci
March 1, 2012 at 4:12 pmI tried making this last night and only the last one turned out. The other three wouldn’t puff up properly and ended up just like crackers. I also wasn’t able to roll them out to be quite as big as yours.
I think there are two things that prevented the roti from turning out: one, I probably didn’t knead enough, and 2, the pan wasn’t hot enough. Also, I’m in America and the gluten in our wheat is different from European flours; I imagine it would be very different from Indian flour. American flour has elastic gluten as opposed to plastic gluten; it stretches and bounces back rather than stretching and staying there. Am I right about what happened to my roti?
Manjula Jain
March 1, 2012 at 8:18 pmMerci
I live in America, yes flour is different but roti will turn out good just need some practice.
Merci
March 2, 2012 at 12:39 pmOkay. Thank you for replying so promptly! I’ll try again tonight with another one of your curry recipes. I made your chole palak the same night as the roti and it turned out amazing. Thank you for your excellent recipes!
Kitchen Barbarian
March 3, 2012 at 2:25 amMerci, get some actual chapati flour – it’s all I ever use for Indian bread. It’s different than American style whole wheat flour. The grind is different. I use Golden Temple Durum Atta. I’ve tried using American style whole wheat and even whole wheat pastry flour, they have never worked for me. Any Indian grocer will stock appropriate chapati flours.
Some tips for making softer chapati/roti from http://www.indiacurry.com/bread/br003breadbasics.htm
Tenderizing dough to make softer breads
1. The starch in the flour absorbs moisture with heat. Always add warm water (near 100ºF) to make dough.
2. Lactic acid and fat in the Yogurt tenderize gluten. That’s why buttermilk is added to make ‘biscuits’ in the United States. Replace water in part or whole with Dahi, or Buttermilk to make dough.
3. Add shortening such as Ghee, butter or even milk to the dough to make it softer. These fats also add to the texture of the dough.
4. Allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature, to permit the starches and glutens enough time to work through.
5. If you stored dough in the refrigerator, let it come to room-temperature before rolling, otherwise the gluten will remain stiff resulting in hard bread.
Many things can cause changes in the results for your chapati. Yesterday I made chapati in the afternoon in the same pan I usually use, then in the evening I thought I would use the cast iron griddle instead. The lunch chapati were fine, the cast iron chapati were awful. I have to relearn how to tell when the cast iron griddle is the right temp, it’s different. So while you’re learning, pick a pan and stick with it.
Radha
January 28, 2012 at 5:17 pmHi Aunty,
I used to eat frozen chapati but I decided to buy chapati flour to save money although it is a little time consuming(for an inexperienced person like me). I made my first chapati, but it didn’t come out as expected. It was dry, yellow in color and had no brown spots.I dont know why this is.Please let me know if you have any idea.I would very much appreciate it.Thank you!!
Nusrat
January 6, 2012 at 9:56 amHello,
Where did you get your tavi and on what heat setting have you kept your electric stove? I am used to gas stove but will soon be moving and using electric any tips on using electric stove?
On what heat setting should I keep it on if i need to make rice which have seperate grains rather than sticky grains.
Carmen
January 5, 2012 at 7:27 pmThank you very much for being so kind sharing this great recipe with us
aarti
January 1, 2012 at 12:12 ammanjula auntys way of teaching is just beyond words to express THANKYOU from the bottam of my heart for such good recipe teaching
Soraya
November 17, 2011 at 2:54 amHello Manjula,
I just discoverd your recipes.
I tried out to make some rotis yesterday. It turned out to be a flop :
very dry, non puffy..
I used a brown flour for chapati…
what’s wrong?
Thanks for your answer.
Dan
January 2, 2012 at 6:39 amI’m with Soraya. My rotis didn’t turn out well either. I used “stone ground” whole wheat flour, which looked browner and coarser than the flour Manjual used in the video. Maybe that was my mistake.
Sarah
January 26, 2012 at 10:10 amthe same happened to me 🙁
afham
November 14, 2011 at 8:25 pmDear manjula aunty can you please tell me that where can we buy the glass dishes like you have ? thanks for your wonderful recipe.
mitard
November 29, 2011 at 5:13 pmIf you’re talking about the large glass dishes then pretty much anywhere! If you mean the smaller ones she uses for spices, I’ve picked up those 3 for a $1 at the local dollar store (Dollarama, in this case).
Jennifer
October 16, 2011 at 12:57 pmHi,
Is the flour self rising? What kid of flour can I use if I cant get roti flour. Love the video.
Nishi
October 2, 2011 at 12:57 pmYou can make it with any type of flour, but depending on the type of flour, you may need less or more water is the only major difference. Whole wheat flours need more water than standard flour, so you need to know when to stop based on the consistency of the dough. Just like you have to make adjustments to the water based on your altitude.
Phil
September 19, 2011 at 9:56 amI have the same question as Yan, can you tell me the recipe to make this wonderful Roti using white flour instead of whole wheat please?
Yan
August 18, 2011 at 8:51 amhi Manjula,
thank you so much for the recipes, so i wonder if is possible that i don’t use the whole-wheat flour but i use the strong flour or soft flour or even plaint flour? thanks ^^
Emma
July 28, 2011 at 12:07 pmHello, Dear Manjula,
Thank you so much for this site and all the recipes. I’ve been using them for over a year now.
But I’ve encountered a problem when making roties: they don’t puff up like yours on the video. I don’t know whats the problem: tried to roll them thiner-the same, thicker-the same; tried to cook over medium flame-same result as over high flame. I made a batch yesterday and today, they taste good, but I don’t think a good as yours. Please, tell me how you meke them puff like balloons.
Manjula Jain
July 29, 2011 at 7:05 amEmma,
Knead the dough little more and make sure dough is soft but not sticking to hand.
Jesse
May 1, 2011 at 12:29 pmHello Manjula,
I have a question. I recently made roti with a bit chunkier flour than usual, and my rotis turned out chewy! Has this happened to you? Does this just happen with coarse flour, or should I use a bit more water and let it sit longer?
Thank you.
Manjula Jain
May 1, 2011 at 10:36 pmJesse,
With chunkier flour it can happend.
Ravi
April 26, 2011 at 8:27 amHi bleached or unbleached if you want the roti to puff good let the dough get fermented a bit (by leaving the dough for a little while covered with wet cloth) and let the plate get hot enough to make the rotti. [ You can also show the roti direct to the sim flame on your stove, it will help the roti to puff good and if you want you can also split it in to two making the roti sooooooooooooo thin and with good taste]. Happy eating.
Naddina
March 26, 2011 at 2:58 pmI used to spend money buying this from the heath food store, because most have chemicals and preservatives in them in the local Markets.
Now I can make this at home and my family loves them.
Thank You,
Naddina
vella
September 4, 2011 at 4:38 pmI agree! It is so easy and cheap to make at home – I am a chapatti addict now!
Bashir
February 26, 2011 at 8:30 amhi Manjula, My family comes from Rajhistan and remember that sometime we used to have Duparta(two layered) roti. Can you tell me how it is made?
Thanks
Karen
January 29, 2011 at 8:55 pmThank you Manjula! I made baigan bharta and now I’m going to make rotis, thanks you … I have always loved Indian food but I have never had the confidence to make it myself. Thanks to you, I do now! Please keep making videos!
reshma
December 13, 2010 at 12:09 pmhi, my rotis dont puff always , i want 2 make puffy rotis evrytime .
meeta
December 3, 2010 at 11:08 amcan u tell me which brand iron skillet you are using in this video ?
Jayashree
November 21, 2010 at 5:19 pmHi Manjula Aunty,
I’ve been using whole wheat unbleached flour for making rotis. It doesnt turn out to be soft. Is unbleached flour the best to use or should we look out for bleached flour?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
K.
November 21, 2010 at 10:29 amWow. This is beautiful. Never thought there is so much beauty to making a roti!
Sreevalli Santhosh
October 16, 2010 at 11:05 amDear aunty,
I love your north Indian curries a lot.
Even I love having tandoor roti, whenever i want to prepare it i used to bake it on wired pan (papad ka tava) but it will not be like tandoor roti it will be like pulkas. So could you guide me where can i get the stone. Or do you know any other alternate.
While preparing tandoor roti you mentioned to use the pesai stone. Where shall we get this stone??
Dalton Cairns
September 28, 2010 at 6:08 pmthankyou – my hard to please kids really enjoyed this recipe
karen
September 26, 2010 at 10:12 amDear Aunty:
please help. i’ve viewed your video on making chapati many times and you make it look so very easy. but each time i try it out, my dough turns out sticky, and then i end up adding extra flour which makes it hard. Help! what am i doing wrong???
thanks very much Aunty!
Manjula Jain
September 28, 2010 at 4:14 pmKaren,
Try adding water little at a time use the water measurement just a guide line then oil the palms before kneading the dough.
Juli Jarvis
September 23, 2010 at 6:32 pmI love your videos — thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Lena
September 14, 2010 at 1:17 pmManjula Aunty,
I really appreciate your beautiful website. I love you for your simplicity and the delicious recipes that you share. I am a pretty good cook, but when it comes to roti I don’t know what goes wrong. I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Can you tell me what is the secret to soft rotis?
Lesley
July 1, 2010 at 5:56 amThanks for this fantastic website. My teenage son is a vegetarian and next year he is going on a trip to India (we live in Australia) where he will have to shop and cook for himself. I’m trying to learn to cook vegetarian Indian cooking so that I can teach him before he goes. I bought a cookbook from Amazon.com, but found all the ingredient bewildering and there were no pictures to show that I was on track. So I was thrilled to try your roti recipe and find it all worked just like in your video! Thanks so much. I’m looking forward to trying other recipe too.
Purnima
June 10, 2010 at 3:30 amhello aunty,
can u tell me how to preserve chapathi for a week.
my plan is to make excess chapathi on weekend,so that on weekdays whn i come home after work,just heat chappati n eat.
Surendra
August 4, 2010 at 4:40 amHow can i preserve roti for 5 days?
Kismet
June 3, 2010 at 10:11 amNamaste Manjula ji,
I love your recipes too! I have visited India several times and miss the authentic cuisine I tasted there. I am so happy to see these genuine recipes.
I have the same problem with getting the rotis to puff. I have tried making these several times. I use chapati flour. I think my rotis come out too hard, but if I make them wetter, they are too sticky to handle. The dough you made looks so silky soft.
What am I doing wrong, please?
Manjula Jain
June 3, 2010 at 10:24 pmKismet, knead the dough more.
Délirokon
May 13, 2010 at 11:20 pmKincső First bread
http://www.panoramio.com/user/1807930/tags/Chapati
Vandana
May 1, 2010 at 4:58 pmWhere do I get this iron pan..??
Kendra
April 24, 2010 at 12:48 pmI tried making the roti……I used Whole wheat flour and I tried the unbleached white whole wheat. I did a 1/2 cup flour, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 luke warm water. Mixed and added oil as you said. I let it sit for 10 mins, and I can not get it to puff out!! Any advice?? Am I using the wrong flour? I’ve tried making the roti 5 different times!!
vella
September 4, 2011 at 4:42 pmis your pan hot enough?
krithikaa
April 16, 2010 at 1:07 pmDear madam,
i have tried some of your recipes.it is really good and comes out the way you showed.my husband is leaving for france for 2 months.can you suggest some recipes for the 2 months.he will make rice in microwave oven.what should i suppliment him with?
thank you
Matt
April 10, 2010 at 1:14 pmJust wondering,
you said 1 cup of flour, and half cup of water…
but in the video you used 1 cup of flour, and 1 cup of water… so which is the best way?
Manjula Jain
April 10, 2010 at 3:50 pmHi Matt,
It was a mistake 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water.
Rabia
March 30, 2010 at 5:50 pmHello Aunty,
I love your recipes! I just had one question about the roti recipe. On your website it says if you want to make 8 rotis to use 1 c of flour and 1/2 of water, but in your video you make 4 rotis and you say to use 1/2 c of flour and 1/2 c of water…do you mean 1/4 c of water?
Thank you!
Rabia
Shahina
March 23, 2010 at 3:29 pmI have purchased the silpat (silicone mat) to make the roti as you show in this segment but it does not stay in place when I am rolling the roti on it. Any advice?
Andrea
May 15, 2010 at 10:38 amI’ve not tried with a silpat, but when I have a cutting board that won’t stay still I put a damp kitchen towel under it to keep it steady.
priya
February 10, 2010 at 6:51 pmhi manjula ji,
this is priya.. i have tried many of ur recipes at home.. and they came out really well… awesome recipes.. being a south indian, ive tried the north indian dishes and they were so delicious.. but i always have problem wit rotis/ chapathis.. they come out being very hard or become hard after 5 mins.. what kind of atta do u use..? do rotis come out well wit sujata atta..?
Shahina
March 23, 2010 at 3:31 pmI use “chakki ata” by swarna. It has no maida (all purpose flour) so it turns out great.
priya
July 22, 2010 at 11:50 amthanx for the tip shahina.
Suba
February 5, 2010 at 4:18 pmHello Aunty ,
Is it possible to roll the chapathis and refrigerate for later use??(just thaw when we are ready to eat??)..Normally i get fluffy chapathis ..Yday i rolled my chapathis for my tiffin box and stored it in the fridge..morning i tried to thaw them ..but it didn’t come out good at all.Any suggestions??Thank you.I love all your recipes.
Kaleena
January 19, 2010 at 2:58 pmDear Manjula,
I really appreciate your videos for so many reasons 🙂 I was not taught these recipes growing up. I found myself yearning to become closer to Desi culture as I grew older due to the lack of it during my younger years, learning these recipes helps me to become closer to it. I thank you!!!!! Please continue to share your talents with us.
Best,
Kaleena
sudha
January 8, 2010 at 5:26 pmHello Manjula ji,
It’s great to see your excellent recipes. I get time to cook only once in a months time. Please let me know how can I reserve cooked parathas and rotis for at least thirty days.
Regards,
Dr. Sudha Madan
grace
January 5, 2010 at 3:36 pmYou are the best. I make Chapatis a lot and I am going to try your recipe. Thanks for posting and for your guidance.
Ingarie
January 4, 2010 at 9:24 pmHi Manjula,
I am living in germany. My daugther visited me during chrismas and her gift for me were all your wunderfull spices, she cooked your recipes ..and at the end I got a virus named “Manjula *g*!
Now I`m learning from you every day and night. You are very sympathic and it is a pleasure for me to learn delicious recipes from you. Thank you very much for this.
But do me a pleasure..just smile a little bit in your next video; just for me, will you please?
A big hug and alle the best for you in 2010!
Ingarie
Rachel Williams
December 27, 2009 at 10:32 amI have been trying to make rotis for a good while and you make it seem so peaceful and easy. After watching your video and after trying several times, I finally accomplished a roti! Thank you for your videos. I love them!
Rachel
Erica Fer
December 23, 2009 at 9:48 amDear Manjula Im Brazilian girl trying to make Indian Receips, but sometimes its so hard to find in Brazil some ingredients,
I have one doubt in Samosa, its really necessary to use Semolina Flour?
Thank you so much!
Manjula Jain
December 23, 2009 at 3:04 pmHello Erica,
Do without semolina
Seeniya Praveen
December 22, 2009 at 12:01 pmthanks a lot for the correct amount of the ingredients because it was always confusing for me..until the making of these rotis i think i am pretty good but the softness of the rotis is still an un answered question..how to correct that deedi…please help
Sathya
December 22, 2009 at 11:15 amHi Aunty
Im jus cooking for abt 6 mnths. Oly after seeing ur videos i got the confidence to try out chappati. But my first rial s a flop. I culd nt understand wat might ve gone wrong. Its not puffing up. May be im rolling it tooo thin??? I need ur help here. Also it ll b great if u guide me in choosing chappati flour. Thnak u soo much 🙂
Manjula Jain
December 22, 2009 at 2:29 pmHi Sathya,
Knead the dough more and dough should be soft.
annie
December 3, 2009 at 4:46 pmhi manjula, i’m making this right now. 🙂 my dough is resting and then i will make it! thank you for posting all my favourite indian recipes.
Melanie
November 25, 2009 at 3:40 amHi Manjula ji,
Your recipe has been very helpful for me, but I need to know that one cup makes 8 rotis.. what should be the size of each ball approx… my chapatis puff up but are a bit thick.. maybe i take more dough in each ball.. kindly guide..
Manjula Jain
November 25, 2009 at 8:28 amHi Melanie,
Thickness and size of the roti you can determine it is a personal choice.
Nicole
November 24, 2009 at 6:26 amWith your video I finally managed to make yummy rotis.
A big “Thank You!” from Germany.
Nicole
Linda
November 8, 2009 at 10:29 pmWhat a great video! Mine also did not bubble up (though they still tasted good!) so I will look forward to hearing any additional hints about that. I will start by kneading more next time and maybe using more water. (They seemed too dry to bubble.) Anyway, thank you!
Jaya
November 9, 2009 at 8:13 amFor as simple as these little breads look, it takes practice to start to get them right (the right dough, rolling it out, and the right stove temperature).
To puff, there has to be enough water to create steam while the bread is cooking. If a crack develops while cooking, the steam will escape but your bread should still taste good.
It’s a fine line between rolling it too thick or too thin. What’s important is to try to roll it evenly so one area isn’t thin and another thick.
Keep practicing! We’ve all been there. 🙂
Priya Srinivasan
November 4, 2009 at 7:19 amDear aunty,
I knead the dough well and keep it for 10-15 mins before making roti. But I don’t know why my rotis never puff up. My mother in India uses an iron skillet on which she keeps the roti for 5-10 seconds and then uses a ‘chimtaa’ or pair of tongs to keep the roti directly under the flame where it puffs up very well. But mine are always flat. Does the quality of flour also matter? I live in France.
regards
Gina
October 24, 2009 at 5:13 pmI tried your roti but I must have done something wrong. Mine didn’t bubble up and it was a little tough. Not sure where I went wrong.
Manjula Jain
October 24, 2009 at 11:14 pmHi Gina,
Knead the dough well.
johanna
October 9, 2009 at 3:30 pmhello !!
i tried the recipe was great to make it im from south america and we dont have this kind of bread ,, was very easy to make and tastes very good ,, i really loved it ,, thank you for your recipe Manjula.
Divya
October 4, 2009 at 1:46 amI love you Aunty .. you are the best [:)]
handshake
October 2, 2009 at 8:09 pmthank you very much for this recipe. where do you get this iron skillet in US and what brand is yours.
Louisa
September 25, 2009 at 8:54 amI’m testing this recipi right now 🙂
I got the tip from a swedish online community.
Your website is great. My goal is to test everything here, starting with Roti.
Ceep up the good work!
/Louisa in Sweden
Sneha
September 8, 2009 at 6:54 pmHi Manjula Aunty,
Thank you so much for this recipe and video. I am a student in US and tried making rotis first time and they turned out great with your help!!
Thank you!
Dee
September 5, 2009 at 6:05 amThank you so much! A son recently married into an Indian family. I need to learn how to cook the meals for future grandchildren. Also, roti helps to prevent bloating of my stomach and cuts down on craving for bread after eating only two. Thank you so much, I am going to practice cooking some roti now after seeing the mistakes I made before seeing your video.
Dee
Samira
September 3, 2009 at 6:29 amI noticed that some of your recipes have different video instructions and different printed instructions.
For example when I read the instructions to make roti its says makes 8, use 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water,
while your video makes 4, use 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water…
This really makes this confusing for a beginner, please correct whichever recipe is not right…
Thanks
Manjula Jain
September 3, 2009 at 7:59 pmHello Samira,
Sorry, in first few videos, I have made some obvious mistakes. I do try that video instructions and printed instructions stay same, still I do make mistakes.
About roti ½ cup flour and ¼ cup water or 1 cup flour and ½ cup water. But still take the water measurement as a guide line. Depends on flour some time it can be little more or less.
Yesenia
September 1, 2009 at 9:25 amI LOVE THIS BREAD! Because I love to eat natural foods this is the bread for me. It has few ingredients and is tasty as well. My daughter can’t get enough. We make it 3 times a week and have it for breakfast or lunch.
Thanks a bunch 🙂
Aarti
August 24, 2009 at 9:05 amDear Manjula Aunti,
Thank you very much for this recipe.
I recently shifted with my husband to a new house where we have electric stove. And we realised we could never make chapatis on it, as traditional chapatis require fire to puff up. We had lost all hope.
But thanks to your recipe we found on internet ! We tried it and the chpatis came out very good. Now we make chapatis every other day 🙂 Thanks very much !
Also I have noticed that none of your recipies contain onion & garlic. We don’t eat onions and garlic and so your recipies are just what we were lokking for. Thanks , all your recipies are wonderful !
Manjula Jain
August 24, 2009 at 10:35 amHello Aarti,
you can still make the roti traditional way. if you have electric stove use cake cooling rack over the burner and make roti over like you will on gas stove. Cooling rack prevents roti not to stick to burner. Good luck
Anonna
August 20, 2009 at 12:51 pmaunty ur the cutest..;-) thank you so much for all ur recipes..i tried ur aloo paratha and roshogolla..both turned out great….
i never even dreamt that i could make those..thank u so much…hugs!
Heidi
August 17, 2009 at 1:30 pmWow! I love your website. I am so glad I found it. I was looking for a good chapati recipe, and I’m so excited that it comes with video instruction. I am also happy to see that you have an electric range, because I watched relatives making it over a gas stove, but I only have an electric stove. I am excited about trying to make my first batch. Thank you!!!!
Arthy
August 6, 2009 at 9:58 amHello Aunty,
I have the round rolling stone from india for the past 5 years. I bought a big rolling pin from a local American store. Its very good but too big for my stone base. I see from your video, you have a rectangular mat. Looks like a plastic sheet to me. Is it reusable or disposable. Advice me on what and where to buy.
Liz
August 1, 2009 at 2:03 pmI enjoyed your video for flat bread. I am looking forward to trying it myself
http://www.grammashands.com
Iwona
July 30, 2009 at 11:48 amI am an Indian cuisine lover. With your videos that I discovered yesterday I made roti. Watching you everything looks so easy but the result I got, was not the best one. Roti did not puffed up, so probably it is why they were more similar to a chewing gum than to Indian bread. I have read all the above comments and now I know more (I think). Tomorrow I will try to make roti again, I hope it will be a successful attempt. Thanks for all your recipes, they are great! All the best for you.
i am lithuanian
July 24, 2009 at 7:37 amhey! your recipes are so cool, im not Indian but i like to try to cook some other countries foods. thanks of Lithuania!
Ron
July 11, 2009 at 2:17 pmWe love your aloo gobi recipe…in fact, I’m cooking it tonight. This is a very informative site and excellent recipes.
thanks
Alka
July 6, 2009 at 12:45 pmhi
i am from india, i have a question that how long roti can be fresh in refrigerator, as my husband is going on tour for one month and he wants me to pack some rotis for his meal.
hugo
June 12, 2009 at 5:02 ami will make it
Devan Rajah
June 4, 2009 at 11:09 amDo you have a recipe for dholl Veda
rose
May 14, 2009 at 11:27 pmThis is highly informative. I like people who also give storage information as well. There is this alternative to samosas which I once saw on ITV whereby some batter like dough (in between runny and non sticky) was used to coat filling. It was but on palm, they put filling in then wrapped it around filling into a ball shape. I couldn’t quite get everything properly as the ingredients and name moved too fast across the screen and I had caught it in the middle already. Must be something that is served during some occasion. The channel is moslem but the ladies who do recipes are Indian. Please if you can send me recipe or show it here I will be grateful.
Rose
Green
May 5, 2009 at 3:48 pmDear Manjula,
your tacit knowledge is the best. I have tried for years to make roti, but alas it could stone a dog. Now, with your lovely video, my rotis puffed and were soft and delicious. I used a Lodge logic cast iron round griddle. Definitely have to let others know about your website.
meena
April 30, 2009 at 1:11 pmwhere can i buy iron skillet ? iam only finding non stick here. i live in california.
Jaya
April 30, 2009 at 3:10 pmGoogle the term “iron fry pans” and you will find places that sell them. Also check e-bay and Amazon.com.
mary
April 30, 2009 at 6:46 amif your pan is hot enough, but not too hot the Roti will puff, I also use a cast iron fry pan; it works the best. when you flip the Roti
Roti-just lightly touch it with an egg turner in a circular motion it will puff.
cristina
April 26, 2009 at 10:56 pmhi…just want to know the cultural history and importance of chapati…i really need this for my subject..thanks=)
Jaya
April 27, 2009 at 5:29 amChapati is the unleavened bread made in India to eat with food, not much different than the unleavened breads (such as Pita bread or Lavash) cooked and eaten with meals throughout much of the Middle East and Asia. Chapati just happens to be the name used in northern India and typically it is rolled out to about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, but can be larger.
joe daniels
April 24, 2009 at 8:37 pmDear Manjula
I tried to make the chapati,but they didnt swell up .what did i do wrong.
thanks alot for all the great recipes.
joe
khilna
April 24, 2009 at 8:53 pmhmm… at the third flip you kind of press down with a cloth.. and then it would puff up (or swell). (you flip right after you see it getting some minor bubbles..)
khilna
April 24, 2009 at 8:56 pmoh and gotta make sure the dough is not too soft or too hard.. about the pressing to make it puff; never press to hard or too much because roti might become hard and flat.
Rhea
April 24, 2009 at 9:01 pmhey joe
it depends on many things…like maybe the dough wasn’t soft enuf….or u didn’t roll the roti evenly(not the shape but thickness shud be equal)…or u didn’t flip it at the right time…or u din’t try to swell it at the right time….normally u shud try to swell it up we u have flipped it twice and see some bubbles…press the roti lightly with a cloth,paper towel or even a plastic flat spatula..depending on ur comfort…..hope this works for u..
jameela
July 22, 2009 at 11:32 amDear Manjula
I tried to make the Rotis two times ,but they didnt puff although I follow the instructions .
thanks alot for .
Jameela
Jaya
April 19, 2009 at 9:46 amDear Manjula ji,
I was wondering what surface you used to roll the Rotis on. Thank you for posting such nice and helpful videos. I am hooked to your website.
Jaya.
How to Get Six Pack Fast
April 15, 2009 at 9:53 amIf you ever want to hear a reader’s feedback 🙂 , I rate this post for 4/5. Decent info, but I have to go to that damn msn to find the missed bits. Thanks, anyway!
Shahina
April 9, 2009 at 6:00 pmCan you tell me the brand of the pan that you are using in this segment of roti making. Is it iron or nonstick?
Thank you.
Manjula Jain
April 9, 2009 at 6:02 pmI am using iron skillet but I dont remember the name it is quite old and I can not see any marking.
Shahina
April 11, 2009 at 5:19 pmThank you
Trudy
March 24, 2009 at 9:23 amI am so happy to have found this site. Can I use white all purpose flour for this recipe?
I only ask because my kids to not like whole wheat.
Thank you!
Meshu
March 24, 2009 at 8:19 amHello Manjula,
I’ve tried many ways of making rotis and i always have trouble making it puff up and keeping it light. I also have a hard time with the dough shrinking back after rolling it out. Is there any advice you could please give me?
Thank you very much! I love your website!
pallavi
March 20, 2009 at 12:39 pmnice 2 hear that u r from U.P. By the way,can i know from which dist do u belong to since i m also from U.P. and always enjoying with ur recipes…..Great job keep it up..
Amrita
March 14, 2009 at 8:08 pmNamaste Manjula Kaku (Aunty),
I have seen your various receipes on youtube & immediately tried Bhendi Masala which turned out to be very delicious.
The Most Appreciable thing about your receipes is that they are very simple to cook & involve least & common ingredients.
Another surprise in your receipes is that they all are without onion & garlic but still taste the best.
I wish you a very great success in your Cooking Career. Can I know where do you stay in US?
Do you conduct cooking classes also?
Looking forward to your reply.
Thanks & Luv,
Amrita
Manjula Jain
March 14, 2009 at 8:32 pmHi Amrita, I live in San Diego and I do give the cooking classes.
Amrita
March 15, 2009 at 10:32 amNamaste Manjula Kaku,
Thanks for your quick reply….i know how busy you must be replying for so many queries…
I need your advice on Durum wheat flour which is made of Durum Wheat & Wheat Bran. I know you have clarified elsewhere
to use Durum whole wheat but our package does not say Whole wheat. The problem is this flour is very sticky while
kneating the dough & goes difficult while rolling Chapatis. Can you give a tip on avoiding this stickyness?
lanita
March 17, 2009 at 8:23 pmyes i can add more oil
RukmaniRam
March 13, 2009 at 10:57 pmManjulaji,
I’ve been following and using your recipes for a while now, and I’m a big fan of your youtube channel! I have a couple of questions: Can I use durum wheat flour to make rotis? why not? Also, if I want to refrigerate the rotis, how do I keep them soft while reheating? they tend to become hard and chewy..
Manjula Jain
March 14, 2009 at 7:15 amHello Rukmani,
I prefer if it says durum whole wheat, you can refrigerate the roties, if you do one roti at a time in microwave between damp paper towel for about 15 to 20 second comes out very good.
Annie
March 10, 2009 at 11:12 amNamaste Manjula!
thank you for this easy to follow chapati recipe. I have 2 questions: my chapatis do not seem to puff all over. What should i do?
do chapatis freeze well?
thanks,
Annie
Neera
March 8, 2009 at 10:08 pmVery delicious, your videos are the best.
I added 1 Tbsp of nigella seeds and it make the flavour just right.
Shammi
February 16, 2009 at 7:39 pmHello Manjula,
I need help making the roti’s for my doubles. Is it the same recipe or different? Any hints on the Chana for the doubles?
Thank you ,
Shammi
Jaya
February 17, 2009 at 7:20 amWhat does “for my doubles” mean?
Shammi
February 17, 2009 at 5:29 pmTwo(double) small rotis folded with Chana massala pepper sauce like a sandwich. Tinidad and Guyanese Favorite. I’m trying to get the rotis just right.
Jessica
February 13, 2009 at 6:15 pmThank you so much for posting your videos and recipes. It helps so much and you’re such a great teacher. I made the roti tonight and it was great 🙂 Your site — like you — is a treasure! Thank you!
Jean
February 3, 2009 at 10:07 amDear Manjula
What a treasure your cooking videos are. Thank you so much for your kind sharing of your skills and recipes. I will be here often!
Victor
February 2, 2009 at 3:51 amWould a tortilla press substitute for rolling it by hand?
Carmen
January 29, 2009 at 5:43 pmcan you please give me a recipe for the yogurt/dill/onion/cucumber side dish that is often served with roti?
Arthy
January 28, 2009 at 1:15 pmHello Aunty,
What is the brand of whole wheat flour that you are using to make these wonderfully puffed rotis. Not even a single day goes by without browsing your recipies. God bless you.
Manjula Jain
January 28, 2009 at 1:16 pmI use Sujata or Laxmi brand
priya
January 28, 2009 at 7:17 pmaunty what tava do you recommend to buy. Is there anything available in the american stores that is suitable for rotis
Manjula Jain
January 28, 2009 at 11:15 pmCast Iron tava works best for roti but whatever tava you buy make sure it is heavy.
eva
January 27, 2009 at 8:35 pmoh, manjula! i have been making roti for years, but never achieved the signature balloon like puff until watching your video. it was like magic in my kitchen last night. learning through your videos feels like i am a tot learning by your side. i am so grateful! please keep up the good work.
Rusty
January 27, 2009 at 2:07 pmGoing to try this recipe tonight! Have a housemate who loves roti. We’ll see if mine turn out as nice and tasty as yours. How do I make ghee?
Manjula Jain
January 27, 2009 at 5:18 pmGhee is easy to make I will do the blog on it.
sasanka
January 21, 2009 at 5:33 amHello Aunty
I tried very hard to make nice rotis but they dont seems to look as good as yours… and no bubble :-/
Now I think its coz I use oil for frying and you dont!
Today I will try again as you shown on video… wish me luck
katie
January 14, 2009 at 1:40 pmOooooh. I wanna make this. I’m gonna!
Alex
January 13, 2009 at 8:07 amhello Manjula, your recipes are delicious, and the amount of effort and time you spend on this website is amazing!
I have a quick question. I can not seem to find a direct answer.
What is the difference between Naan, Paratha, and Chapati?
Thanks!
Jaya
January 13, 2009 at 8:55 amHi Alex:
Naan: bread dough is made with yeast and allowed to raise. The naans are BAKED in an oven, not cooked in a griddle on top of the stove. Naan are puffier because of the yeast. You can spread ghee on one side after it’s done cooking.
Parantha: dough is made with water, wheat flour, and oil or ghee are added for richness. They are cooked on a griddle on top of the stove. As they cook, oil or ghee are drizzled on the parantha for golden color and crispness. While cooking, they are pressed down with a spatula to prevent them from puffing up.
Chapati: the most basic Indian bread made with water and wheat flour. They are cooked on a griddle on top of the stove. When they have cooked on both sides, they are briefly put directly onto the stove flame to puff up (if you have a gas stove). You can spread a little ghee on one side after they are cooked.
All breads are best served promptly after cooking. You can keep them longer (ie waiting for guests to arrive) by wrapping them in foil so they don’t get hard.
Jaya A.
Sony
January 12, 2009 at 12:30 pmAuntyji,
They look so good. Please tell what brand of wheat flour do you use. I have tried so many brand, but my Chapattis come out hard.
Manjula Jain
January 12, 2009 at 1:36 pmHello Sony,
Sorry, Making roti on low heat, using too much dry flour while rolling, dough is not knead enough or dough is not very soft all these things can make roti dry.
I will do the another video soon on roti and talk little more making dough and rolling.
Ella
January 11, 2009 at 2:09 pmHello
I tried your recipe but I must be doing something wrong, i’ve made Roti’s before back home in the UK but here they seem to come out crispy 🙁 I purchased some whole wheat flour and used that (it isn’t white whole wheat… just regular, does that make a difference?) and I do not have a skillet so I used a wide, non stick frying pan – other than that, i followed your directions… For some reason they didn’t puff up when I was cooking them and like i said they were all crispy. Am i rolling them too thin? Am I using too much flour? Do you have any tips as to how i can get the Roti soft? What am i doing wrong?
Thanks so much for your help, i’m hoping practice will make perfect 🙂
Manjula Jain
January 11, 2009 at 5:30 pmHello Ella,
Making roti on low heat, using too much dry flour while rolling, dough is not knead enough or dough is not very soft all these things can make roti dry.
Leo
January 5, 2009 at 11:05 amWhat is the secret in Store boughrt chapatis. They stay soft for many days..?
Khew
December 29, 2008 at 12:28 amThanks for your recepi..i stay at Malaysia. Recently my mom fall sick(Diabetis), the doctor recommend her to eat chapati, i already bought the ingrediants, tonight will try to cook, hope will sucess..Thank you
Ignacio
December 25, 2008 at 7:02 pmI’m from Argentina and I love your website.
Thanks for an excellent recipe!
Best regards and Happy Christmass.
angel
December 21, 2008 at 1:57 pmhi, a big thank you for sharing you recipes, im english but love to cook indian foods, i have made rotis before but have just learnt a few tips. i will be trying more of you recipes as my family love them.
thanks angel
Alexandra
December 21, 2008 at 3:54 am伯母 (Aunty in Chinese),
I’m an American girl living in China. Bread in China is often sweet so it makes good breakfast food. But, it is too sweet for other recipes. Ovens are NOT common here so your Roti recipe is WONDERFUL! Now I can make bread! Thank you so much for your hard work! Next, I will try to make Gulab jamuns!
谢谢 thank you,
Alexandra (张雅莉）
Manjula Jain
December 18, 2008 at 11:38 pmHello Geetha,
I use Silicone Baking Sheet because I have tile counter.
GEETHA R
December 18, 2008 at 8:02 pmHai miss. manjula,
all of your recipes are really good. i have a question for you what kind of sheet that you are using to roll the rotis please let me know.
thanks.
geetha r
Ojasvi
December 12, 2008 at 2:36 pmHello Manjula Aunty,
All your receipes are amazing and the food turns out absolutely awesome. Have tried most of your receipes. Looking forward for more receipes!!!
Thankyou
Philip
December 12, 2008 at 9:10 amWoo!
I was able to get them to puff.
I used all purpose flour this time. My wheat is a pastry flour and i think i didn’t develop the gluten enough. I added a dash of curry powder to them… yummy.
🙂
namaste ji!
nisha
December 12, 2008 at 2:45 amDear Madam,
I just saw your site through the you tube. I really like your way of showing the recipes through videos and i feel as if am in a cookery class.
Most importantly i should mention the way you give tips which makes us to enhance our cooking. Hats off to you madam and i hope you keep going with more recipes in future.
Philip
December 9, 2008 at 9:45 pmThank you so much for your wonderful web site!
I love to cook and when i am camping I don’t have my oven with me to make bread. I think these are going to be a big hit next summer if i can get them to work. 🙂
I just tried tonight and they didn’t puff much… the bread had two skins, and could be peeled apart, but not the beautiful puffing you achieve. from other comments it’s likely that i didn’t knead enough. My dough was fairly delicate and didn’t lift as easily as yours. The video said 1/2 cup water, but I see that that should be 1/4 cup. (or generically 2 parts flour to 1 part water if you don’t have a measuring cup.) For those looking for a smooth surface, I used a plastic cutting mat (back side, was smooth, without any knife scores.) I think i purchased 3 for $1.
A silicon baking sheet was also mentioned, but much more expensive.
Thanks again!
namaste ji!
ahaana
December 3, 2008 at 3:17 ammanjula aunty.
pls add the recepie for vegetable omlette, i have searched all your site for this 🙁
Jaya
October 29, 2008 at 6:11 pmHi Monica,
That’s great that you tried roti. DON’T get discouraged. Roti making is an acquired art! The more you make them the quicker you will improve. Making the dough and rolling are just something that improves with practice.
To make them thicker, start with a larger ball of dough and don’t over-roll it. As it gets thinner, lift it into your hands and check the thickness. If it’s too thick, give it another roll or two and check again.
Good luck, Jaya
MONICA
October 29, 2008 at 11:55 amHello Auntie..I made roti today for the first time and they did not puff up..They were to thin and a little crispy..How can i make them thicker?
madhu
October 24, 2008 at 7:59 pmhello aunty,
can u tell me how to preserve chapathi for a week.
my plan is to make excess chapathi on weekend,so that on weekdays whn i come home after work,just heat chappati n eat.
Ana
October 24, 2008 at 5:35 amhey auntie,
thanks so much for this recipe, i am a starter with indian cooking i want to learn because my fiance is indian and you made roti so easy to make.
Jaya
October 19, 2008 at 4:01 pmHi Emily,
Rice rotis are south Indian which is a whole cooking style of its own. Very delicious, but quite different from north Indian cooking that you see here.
Now you have a good excuse to go back to India. 🙂
Jaya
Emily Sachin
October 19, 2008 at 10:40 amI really enjoy your videos, they make it easy to understand the process of cooking for my Indian husband. I was wondering if you had a recipe for Rice Rotis. When I visited my husbands family in Bangalore and Mercera, they made delicious rice rotis, but I couldn’t get the hang of it. or remember the recipe. Thanks!
Jaya
October 17, 2008 at 3:16 amHi Lena,
If you don’t have a measuring cup, then use a tea cup to measure the flour and slowly add water while mixing until the dough starts to form.
When possible, try to purchase a set of measuring cups and measuring spoons. It will make using these recipes MUCH easier and more accurate.
Jaya
lena
October 16, 2008 at 7:43 pmDear Manjula!
I’m from Viet Nam, I very like Indian foods and need more learn to make all recipes of yours
In this recipe of Roti, Chapati, because I only have the scale, don’t have the cup: 1 cup flour = 140g, 1/2 cup water = 120ml are OK ?
If it’s right, I think the dough is very wet, because I always make 100g flour and 55 or 60ml water is maximum. Thanks
Jaya
October 15, 2008 at 5:41 pmAnu,
Scroll down to my reply on Sept. 26th about the rolling surface.
Jaya
anu
October 15, 2008 at 4:15 pmhi aunty,
i was wondering what you use as a surface to roll out your rotis. i have a chakla belan but i liked your flat surface. what is it? where can i get it?
Manjula Jain
October 7, 2008 at 2:50 pmHi Larissa,
You can not freeze the roti dough. You can put in the fridge for two to three days.
Manjula
Larissa
October 7, 2008 at 1:56 pmCan you freeze your roti dough? Or can you put it in the fridge before you want to cook it?
Manjula Jain
October 5, 2008 at 6:03 pmHello Marcy,
I will be doing some time in November How to roll and make dough. That should help
Marcy
October 5, 2008 at 5:49 pmThank you so much Manjula for your great website and especially the instructional videos! I have made the Chapati 3 times now and each time the whole process gets easier and they turn out better and better. I just wanted to add that I use a very heavy, large, cast-iron skillet. I noticed my first Roti would always turn out best and puff up huge, but next ones wouldn’t as much or at all. It seems that some excess flour would come off each Roti as I cook them in pan and would burn holes in the next Rotis, so the air would escape and they would not puff up. So now I use an all copper scrubber in between each Roti cooking and they all seem to puff up now. This cast iron skillet also seems to get very hot on my electric stove, so I have to keep it at medium to med-high. Just thought I would add my experience and hope this may help someone that is having similar problems as I did with holes being made in the Rotis and then causing them to not hold the steam. You really have to keep at it and experiment with what you have to use because everything is a little different in everyone’s home kitchen!
Thank you!!!
MONICA
October 1, 2008 at 8:32 amHOW MUCH SALT DO I ADD TO THIS RECIPE AUNTIE MANJULA?
Manjula Jain
September 30, 2008 at 10:52 pmHello Monica,
4 cup flour and 2 cups of water
MONICA
September 30, 2008 at 8:00 pmAUNTIE MANJULA NEVER MIND MY LAST COMMENT…JUST PLEASE CAN YOU GIVE ME A REGULAR RECIPE FOR 30 ROTI…HALF WHEAT AND FLOUR DONT WORK…ROTI WONT ROLL OUT AND I TRIED TWICE..I AM JUST GONNA BUY WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR..SO PLEASE AUNTIE JI GIVE ME REGULAR RECIPE FOR 30 ROTI…THANK YOU AGAIN
MONICA
September 30, 2008 at 7:43 pmNAMASTE AUNTIE…I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A RECIPE TO MAKE ABOUT 30 ROTIS…MY DAD AND MOM WANT AND I WANNA ALSO KEEP HERE IN MY HOME..CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME..ALSO JAYA SAID I COULD USE HALF WHEAT FLOUR NOT WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR AND OTHER HALF REGULAR FLOUR..SO IF YOU HAVE THE RECIPE FOR 30 ROTIS PLEASE GIVE ME IN HALF WHEAT FLOUR AND REGULAR FLOUR..THANK YOU AUNTIE JI
Manjula Jain
September 29, 2008 at 7:53 pmHello Marilyn,
Thank you, I am going to do a video just on rolling the roti and other breads. I think that will be helpful.
Manjula
Marilyn
September 29, 2008 at 6:47 pmThis recipe, like all of yours, is so easy to follow, and the results are assured. I only wish I could roll them out like you do. What a skill!
Thank you for posting so many great instructional videos. They are especially helpful for those of us who are just learning with the spices and techniques of India/Nepal/Tibet/etc.
Chapatis and tamarind chutney turned out great.
Thanks again
Jaya
September 29, 2008 at 4:34 pmIn my experience, the only reason a roti is square is because it takes plenty of practice to roll them out to be round.
I doubt they are making them square on purpose. It’s just the shape that comes out if they don’t roll out round. But they should still taste good!
MONICA
September 29, 2008 at 4:24 pmHello Auntie Manjula,
I wanted to know why do some people make rotis in a square shape?Any reason for this?
Jaya
September 26, 2008 at 2:35 pmHi Poonam,
What aunty is using is called a ‘Non-stick Rolling Mat”. They are made of silicone and have an ultra smooth surface so that you can roll out things like dough without it sticking.
Williams Sonoma stores sell them in their stores and on-line. You can search on the web too for other U.S. stores that carry them. You can also try specialty cooking/baking stores. Ask for the non-stick rolling mat and they should be able to tell you quickly if they sell it or not. Good luck. 🙂
Poonam
September 26, 2008 at 10:12 amDear Aunty,
Thanks for this recipe, can u let me know what board were u using to roll ur rotis on coz I also have a tile counter top in my kitchen and where can I find the same as u are using. I live in San Diego, CA
Megan
September 26, 2008 at 9:12 amThanks Manjula ji!
I have 3 Indian roommates from MP and they were very surprised by my aloo paratha and chapati cooking skills. Because your videos and recipies I actually make these breads better than my roommates can. 😀
Shukriyaaa
Megan
Jaya
September 25, 2008 at 4:57 pmTry to use the wheat flour sold by Indian grocers because it is ground to the fineness needed for Indian breads. Wheat flours from American grocery stores or health food stores may be too coarse because they are intended for bulkier bread baked with yeast.
If your in a bind and don’t have Indian wheat flour, try half regular wheat flour and half white flour mixture.
As in my other replies, locate either an Indian grocery store tha you can drive to once every few months, or if that’s not possible locate one that does mail orders.
MONICA
September 25, 2008 at 1:40 pmCAN WE USE WHEAT FLOUR IF WE COULD NOT FIND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR?
alugris
September 13, 2008 at 8:18 amDear Ms Manjula,
I’m a “househusband” from Vigo (Galicia).I’ve just found your website and I think it is fantastic, full of interesting receips and tips. Today I’ve done chapati and rasgulla and they were a success!!. My wife and daughters liked them very much. Rasgulla is very similar to our “requeixo” (curd cheese) when mixed with sugar, cream and whipped. My elder daughter (6) has stuffed her chapati with tomato and potato omelette and she has enjoyed it really!!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!,
Alberto
TikkyMatty
August 31, 2008 at 4:00 pmHi Manjula,
Thank you for your recipe and the video. I made roti twice by following your instruction. It came out really good. I love it.
I love roti. But most of the time, I bought it. Unil I found your website and tried to make it. Wow…it was so good and very easy to make. I also introduced your website to my friends too.
Again…thank you.
Wasima
August 21, 2008 at 4:30 amHi there
Thanks so much for a great website for us novices. Could you please tell me how well far in advance I can make these rotis and if I can roll them out and freeze them?
I really think your recipes are quick and easy to follow. Great work!
Thanks
Wasima
South Africa
yashodhara karbhari
August 20, 2008 at 6:18 amhello madam, i have great interest in all your recipes. I read them and do them and enjoy. I want to know the recipe of sweet puffed roti of toor dal or say puran poli (in gujarat). Can you please help me for this recipe. Thank you.
Priya darshini J.K.
July 25, 2008 at 12:30 pmthanks aunty! You had replied for my request regarding side dishes for rice!
mary
July 20, 2008 at 10:10 amI love your videos. You are adorable. You make cooking Indian Cuisine seem easy.
LOVE YA!!!!!!
Manjula Jain
July 19, 2008 at 4:10 pmHi Sim,
while rolling roti did you use too much dry flour that will prevent puffing and roti will get dry. In begaining try rolling roti little thicker.
Sim
July 19, 2008 at 3:43 pmHi Manjula,
I was very happy to discovered your website recently. So far I have tried the potato curry and chapati recipes. Both turned out good.
Thank you and the video makes it a lot easier to learn.
But my chapati did no puff up as much as your when I lightly press on the puffed parts. It did puff up on some parts and when I lightly press on those parts, it did not make the other parts puff up.
Do you know what I am doing wrong? Thanks
Sim
Jaya
June 23, 2008 at 3:53 pmTo Maheen:
Usually my first roti is the test roti. Cook one, depending on whether or not it puffs up, adjust the heat before cooking more.
Also, you have to figure out your own stove. One stove may cook roti well on medium high, while another person’s stove may need to be on high to be equal to the medium high of the first person’s stove.
Keep experimenting with temperature and see if that helps.
Manjula Jain
June 23, 2008 at 2:57 pmheat shou be on medium high.
Maheen
June 23, 2008 at 11:29 amHi Manjula,
I made roti last night, but they did not puffed like your, I have electric oven just like yours, wondering what heating temprature do you set to make roti?
Minnu
June 22, 2008 at 8:53 amHi Manjula aunty,
I made rotis using Sujatha aatta and all the rotis came out soft.
Thanks.
Ibrahim
June 9, 2008 at 3:43 amHi Manjula,
Thank you for websit you make our family hapy
I all the evening bakeing roti and naan for them
Raquel
June 7, 2008 at 2:15 pmHi Manjula,
I just wanted to thank you for your great recipes! Especially the “Roti, Chapati (Flat Indian Bread)”. My baking class and I made it and it turned out SOO good! 🙂 Everyone wanted some! 🙂
Thanks again,
Raquel
Manjula Jain
June 6, 2008 at 8:36 pmHello Amie, adding flex seed was good, why roti did not puff, I think dough needed to be more soft and knead the dough little more.
Amie
June 6, 2008 at 6:26 pmHi Manjula.. I just wanted to thank you for all your wonderful recipes! I tried this recipe but also added 1/4 cup of milled flaxseed for added health benefits (I also used whole wheat flour) and made the dough (a little extra water was needed). They cooked up fine but did not puff up while cooking. Did I maybe roll them too thin? Do you think the flax seed flour keep them from puffing? They still taste fine but was looking for them to do what yours did. What do you think went wrong?
Michael
June 3, 2008 at 2:15 pmHi Manjula,
how can I make big number of Chapati or Paratha (30 to 40) some hours before guests will come and have them as fresh, hot and good as if they just came out of the pan?
Thanks,
Michael
Manjula Jain
May 30, 2008 at 12:03 pmI use Sujata and Golden temple
sonya
May 30, 2008 at 11:41 amHi Manjula,
I am a big fan of your recipes.
Please let me know which brand of wheat flour do you use ?
Is it golden temple / Pillsburry or what ?
Thank You,
Annette
May 27, 2008 at 11:12 amFolks in the Atlanta, GA area may want to know they can find chapati flour in small quantities at DeKalb Farmers’ Market, sold in plastic tubs alongside all the other flours. This is great for those of us who don’t want to buy a huge sack ! That said, I have made chapatis with King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour, and they have worked well.
Lem Tay
May 27, 2008 at 8:03 amA hint for all readers, in Indian grocery stores, you can ask for “Atta Flour”. I’ve also had good results with “Sharps Flour”, which is a grade (fineness) that they mill the flour to.
Manjula Jain
May 24, 2008 at 10:26 pmLee, Rotis become hard because after each individual roti is made, they should be covered immediately so the steam keeps the rotis soft. The reason your rotis may not puff because the dough is not knead enough and may be dough should have been little softer.
lee
May 24, 2008 at 8:12 pmhi there manjula
i have tried exactly this way you show but my roti dont puff up at all and when i take them out the pain they are nice but hard like crunchy flat biscuit
what have i done wrong?
Martha
May 24, 2008 at 2:38 pmHi Manjula,
First, I love your website and your YouTube videos – thank you for sharing them!
I just tried your roti recipe. I used stone ground (a course grain) whole wheat flour. I think it is too heavy for this recipe as my roti came out very solid and would not puff. Am I correct in thinking you are using a finely ground whole wheat flour? I will try again using a finer whole wheat flour and post my results.
Thank you!!
~Martha
Josh
May 12, 2008 at 5:33 pmManjula,
Thank you very much for this recipe — I couldn’t have done it without your very instructional video and I cannot wait to try your naan recipe. If I wanted to make onion or chile naan, when would I add those to the bread?
Also, for rolling the roti, I did it by hand, but next time, I think I’m going to simply use my pasta rolling machine … I will try to remember to let you know the results.
Manjula Jain
May 8, 2008 at 8:37 amso far I have not found any roti maker witch works good.
Sona
May 8, 2008 at 1:01 amDear Manjula Aunty:
Do you have any recommendations for a roti maker, that you know works well/does not overheat, etc.
Thanks for your opinion.
Respectfully,
Sona.
Mythili
May 7, 2008 at 10:53 pmHi Manjula Aunty,
Thanks a lot for posting yummy recipes on your website.
I prepared rotis as per your recipe, and the rotis cme out very good.
But then, I am unable to roll the rotis with the same ease as you do. I agree it is a matter of experience:) But then, I need to press the dough in dry flour atleast thrice, otherwise it starts sticking.
Is there anything wrong with my dough (I mean is it too soft)? Or am I pressing the rotis too hard?
It would be of great help if you could post a detailed video on pressing the rotis, so that I can benefit from the same.
Cheers
Mythili
in2insight
May 7, 2008 at 5:07 pmThank you for all your wonderful recipes and sharing them with us!
It would be great if there was an option to Print the recipe, or a Print view.
Peace and joy!
Manjula Jain
May 4, 2008 at 9:15 pmHello Sue, can be few reason, are you covering the roti after making each, may be dough is too hard, need to knea the dough more, skillet is not hot enough. these are some reason I can think.
Sue
May 4, 2008 at 8:28 pmManjula, I believe I am following the recipe but my rotis don’t puff up and they come out very crispy…like crackers…what am I doing wrong?
Manjula Jain
April 27, 2008 at 8:00 pmsounds very interesting but I have never heard this before.
Rob
April 27, 2008 at 6:58 pmLoved your video and recipe… can’t wait to try it. I just got back from Trinidad where my mother in law made roti and used a microwave to puff it up. Wish I had the complete recipe but I will let you know when she visits me in the Bronx. Are you familiar with this way of puffing the roti?
Sil Bs As
April 17, 2008 at 11:52 amWould chapatis come out well with all-purpose flour??
I’m not sure I can find whole wheat flour in South America =(
Thanks
Bob
April 15, 2008 at 3:35 amDear Manjula.
I think you should make a cook book.
Where did you learn all your skills?
You are so talented.
Thanks
x
Bob
April 15, 2008 at 3:34 amWhat a legend.
Adrian
April 12, 2008 at 10:37 amThank you very much Manjula!
Learning how to cook Inidan food add an another layer of the understanding different culture and people who broaden my perspectives. Please keep posting your video!
By the way, if you are planning to visit Tampa, FL. Please be my guest.
Thanks again.
Adrian
Manjula Jain
April 3, 2008 at 9:51 amHello Adrian, you can use the whole wheat flour you buy from any grocery store. It will be darker in color and will be little more coarse but roti will be good another thing you have to be careful just make the dough 10 to 15 minutes before you will make roti othwise dough will start changing the color.
Adrian
April 3, 2008 at 9:19 amDear Manjula,
I am curious to know that regular wheat flour from any grocery stores can be used as a substitute. I went to an Indian grocery store to buy whole wheat flour named “golden temple(?)”, it was little bit out of my price range(about $10).
Thank you very much!
Adrian
Manjula Jain
March 31, 2008 at 1:14 pmRoti should be little thicker then Papadam. Dough for roti should be soft and well knead. After each roti cover it, roties steam keep the roti soft otherwise they will be dry.
April
March 30, 2008 at 10:14 pmSadly the video is no more available. Could you please upload again? Is it true that if we keep the dough longer, rotis are more soft?
janaki
March 30, 2008 at 6:00 pmHi manjula,
i am so glad that you started a web site i am so happy abt this. I am a regular visitor of your recipies in you tube.
I have few question regarding chapthi
1. how thick the chapathi should be rolled out?
2. after preparing chapathis they get dry out and become hard how can i prevent it and keep it soft for an hour atleast
3. only some of my chapathis blow like a baloon but others dont blow up whats the problem with my preparation.
Please help me out i want to be a good chapathi maker 🙂
thanks
janaki
Hilar Delgado
March 29, 2008 at 4:14 amHi Manjula,
Thank you very much for the wonderful recipes! The Indian kitchen is very popular in Belgium, we looove it!
Manjula Jain
March 27, 2008 at 8:02 amcan be 2 reason, dough is too hard or you need to knead the dough more so dough is smooth.
Soraya
March 27, 2008 at 6:41 amwoW. it’s dat easy. i’m going to start doing it myself. i love this stuff with curry or sardines dats how we serve it in malaysia…. oil less and gr8 for diet. i’m loving it
Steven
March 27, 2008 at 4:34 amDear Manjula ,
First of all i want to say you have a very nice site were people can learn much from the indian cithen , but i have a qustion , i alway’s try to make chapati but from the moment i put it in the fire there are no bubbels coming on the chapati so it don’t go as a balloon like in the movie you show on this site , what i do wrong , i have also a special chapati pan one that i bring with me from india but in that one its also not working..
The flour that i use is weat flour i by that one here in Belgium in a indian shop but the different on my flour is more brown and yours look very white..
Please can you help me..
Best regards
Steven