Rooti, like rice, is a staple in Indian homes. You may just see it at every meal. It is a very simple preparation of a flat bread that does not take a lot of time or ingredients. Rooti is the Bengali word for this food item. If you hear anyone say roti, rotli, or chapati, it is the same thing. Why haven’t I seen this at my local Indian restaurant when every Indian family makes this at home you may ask? I believe this is because naan has taken over in everyone’s minds as the ultimate Indian bread. But, nevertheless, no Indian home is complete without rooti. I remember my grandfather tearing up pieces and putting them in a bowl of milk for his breakfast. It goes well with daal (a lentil soup) and keema (a ground meat dish). We like to eat them rolled up with shooji or sugar as a sweet snack. And they are delightful just by themselves.
Here are a couple of things to note. For this recipe, you will need a gas stove and cleaned stove top racks. Also, you will need to get atta flour from your local Indian grocery store. Standard whole wheat flour that you buy from your grocery store is milled differently than atta whole wheat flour and will produce a different consistency. It is important that the water is warm, not hot. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 cups Aatta (Indian whole wheat flour)
½ cup warm water
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
1.Make the dough by first mixing the atta flour and salt.
2. Add and mix in small amounts of the warm water. Continue to slowly add water and knead until dough is fully combined. It should feel like a fresh pack of play dough. You may not need the full ½ cup of water to reach this consistency. If your dough gets too wet, add a small amount of atta flour. Kneading this dough will take about 10 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 8 parts. Roll each piece into a tight ball.
4. Roll each piece on a floured surface into a roughly 6-in circle with a rolling pin.
5. Heat a non-stick pan on the stovetop. Place raw rooti on the pan for 1 – 1.5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 minute. Each side should have a few browned bubbles.
6. Remove from pan and place directly on stove top medium flame with a pair of tongs. The rooti may puff up a little bit. Adjust the position of the rooti over the flame so that the entire surface finishes cooking. This will take 10-15 seconds. Flip and repeat on the other side.
7. Remove the rooti from the flame and finish off with smearing a light layer of butter over the top.
