Roti (Whole-Wheat Chapati)
The everyday bread of India: soft, thin whole-wheat flatbreads cooked on a hot griddle and puffed over an open flame. Just flour, water and a little practice.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Knead a soft dough
In a bowl, mix the flour and salt, then add the water a little at a time, kneading 5-7 minutes until you get a soft, smooth, slightly tacky dough. Rub the surface with the oil, cover, and let it rest 20 minutes so the rotis turn out soft.
- 300g chapati flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 200ml warm water
- 1 tsp oil
✅ Done when: dough is soft, smooth and slightly tacky to the touch
Roll thin
Divide the rested dough into 10 equal balls, about the size of a golf ball. On a lightly floured surface, dust each ball with flour and roll it into a thin, even circle about 15cm across, rotating it as you roll to keep it round.
- all the dough from step 1
- 2 tbsp extra flour
✅ Done when: each piece is a thin, even 15cm circle
Cook in a pan
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Puff over the flame
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Knead a soft dough
In a bowl, mix the flour and salt, then add the water a little at a time, kneading 5-7 minutes until you get a soft, smooth, slightly tacky dough. Rub the surface with the oil, cover, and let it rest 20 minutes so the rotis turn out soft.
- 300g chapati flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 200ml warm water
- 1 tsp oil
✅ Done when: dough is soft, smooth and slightly tacky to the touch
Roll thin
Divide the rested dough into 10 equal balls, about the size of a golf ball. On a lightly floured surface, dust each ball with flour and roll it into a thin, even circle about 15cm across, rotating it as you roll to keep it round.
- all the dough from step 1
- 2 tbsp extra flour
✅ Done when: each piece is a thin, even 15cm circle
Cook in a pan
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Puff over the flame
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Wheat has been grown in the Indian subcontinent since the Indus Valley Civilisation, and simple unleavened flatbreads have been the staple of North and Central India for millennia.
Roti, chapati and phulka are near-synonyms for the same bread; phulka specifically refers to one puffed over the flame.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Roti is the bread of almost every North Indian meal — torn by hand and used to scoop up dal, sabzi and curry.
💡 Fun Fact
A roti puffs because the steam trapped between its two thin layers expands in the heat — a sign it was rolled evenly.
Across India
26.85°N, 80.95°E
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