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Bread Indian Bread parantha roti stovetop

Stovetop: Roti, Basic Indian Flatbread

Name: Stovetop: Roti, Basic Indian Flatbread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 8 rotis
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 0 3 ½ cups chapati flour, divided; 0 1 ½ cups water

August 22, 2025 1 Comment

WHAT IS THE BREAD INDIANS EAT REGULARLY?

No, it's not naan. Did I just blow your mind? Our primary bread of choice is an unleavened whole wheat flatbread called roti. It is also referred to as chapati or phulka.

Don't get me wrong, we love naan, but it's leavened with yeast and is made with all-purpose white flour in a tandoori oven, which most do not typically have in their homes. Tip: If you want a tandoori feel from your bread but want to keep it whole wheat, ask for tandoori roti the next time you eat at an Indian restaurant. It's what we do — the whole wheat roti flour is placed in the tandoor and charred beautifully just like naan without all the extras that make it taste great but that I don't really need.

Roti, at its essence, is made simply with flour and water (some do add oil and/or milk) But here lies the issue. The flour matters — it matters a lot! Roti is made from chapati flour, which is in turn made from durum wheat. Durum wheat is one of the hardest varieties of wheat and is high in protein and gluten, which makes it excellent for making pasta and flatbread. Durum wheat for chapati flour is ground on a stone and milled to a very fine consistency, making it perfect for roti. If you have an Indian grocery store nearby, ask them for a good chapati flour. Just be sure that the bag says aata and not maida, which is essentially all-purpose flour. Aata refers to whole wheat flour rather than processed white flour. Much like in the West, we went from white rolls at the table to slightly darker whole wheat rolls; such was the movement in India, with white flour back to traditional whole wheat. My mother always tells stories about my maternal grandmother milling her own flour from wheat kernels.

If you don't have access to chapati flour, I would suggest using 2 parts regular whole wheat flour and 1 part all-purpose flour. When I say regular whole wheat, I mean the typical whole wheat flour found in a mainstream grocer, which comes from a variety of wheat that is usually darker and slightly more bitter than durum wheat. Why, if you use just this flour without 'cutting' it a bit with all-purpose, your roti will turn out dark and slightly dense. You can also use Whole White Wheat Flour — a product I've seen more and more on mainstream grocery shelves over the last few years that is used for baking, and can work for roti as well.

xoxo Anupy

I wrote this article for the Chicago Tribune in 2019 on roti, which gives you my basic recipe. Read below for the full step-by-step.

Stovetop: Roti, Basic Indian Flatbread

Makes: 6-8 rotis

Ingredients

3 ½ cups chapati flour, divided
1 ½ cups water

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer, combine 3 cups of the chapati flour with the water and blend until a dough ball forms. You can do this by hand in a deep bowl, but it’s messier—which is a big reason why many of us Indian–American moms sometimes dread making roti. If mixing by hand, put the flour in first and make a well in the center. Add the water and stir vigorously with one hand until the mixture forms a ball. You may have to play around with the amounts a bit - if the dough is sticky, add a little more dry flour. If it’s too dry, add a little more water, 1 teaspoon at a time. My measurements are a good benchmark, which can vary depending on the consistency and brand of the flour.
If using a food processor or mixer, knead the dough ball by hand for 2 to 3 more minutes, until it reaches the desired consistency. Taking the time to knead the dough really well is the key to successful roti, as kneading it develops a network of gluten, the principal protein in wheat. This helps it retain water, which turns to steam when cooking and lightens, or aerates, the roti. Cover the ball of dough with a damp dish towel or paper towel and set aside at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Roti dough can be used immediately, but I find that it helps to let it sit.
Place the remaining ½ cup of dry chapati flour on a plate. Pull off a golf ball–sized chunk (2 tablespoons) of the dough and roll it between your palms until it is as round as possible. The rounder and smoother you can get the dough ball at this point, the better your results will be later, when you’re rolling it out. If it is too sticky to work with easily, roll the ball lightly in the plate containing the dry flour. The trick to making perfectly moist roti is to use the dry flour sparingly. If you use too much, the roti will be dry and hard. A mistake I made early on making roti for my family.
Press the ball between your palms until it is slightly flattened. Place it on a dry, lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin, 6-inch round. As you roll, practice pressing down on the rolling pin more on one side. If done correctly, the roti will turn very slowly on its own, leading to a perfectly round roti. Don’t worry if you have trouble, as this technique takes years to perfect. If you can’t get it down, and the roti sticks to the surface while rolling, just pick it up, dip it very lightly in the dry flour on both sides, and roll it out again.
Repeat the process until you have made 6 to 8 rotis. Place them on a platter or baking tray. The thickness and size of roti varies household to household. Generally, the thinner they are, the better they will puff up later. And not to worry — if you mess up, just roll the dough into a ball and start over.
Warm an ungreased tava, flat griddle, or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. The key is to heat the pan enough that the roti will cook, but not so hot that it will sear as soon as you lay it in the pan. Test the heat level by flicking a drop of water onto the surface. If it evaporates right away, it is hot enough. Experienced roti makers often just touch the pan quickly with their bare fingertips to assess the heat level. If you want to try this, just be sure your hand is completely dry.
Carefully place 1 uncooked roti flat in the hot pan. Cook for about 30 seconds and then flip. Cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Flip it again. Ball up a dish towel or paper towel and press down on the roti until it starts to puff up and looks like it's cooking through on both sides. Keep cooking and flipping it in the pan for a few minutes on both sides or with tongs transfer it onto an open flame and cook again on both sides until it pops open. If opting for the open flame, it will only take a few seconds to cook through - the trick is to keep it moving so it does not burn. Transfer to a plate and butter on one side. Repeat until all the rotis are cooked. When stacking them, make sure the buttered sides face one another. For the full, unabbreviated recipe, turn to page 230 in my book, Indian For Everyone.

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1 Response

PJ

December 13, 2023

Hello Anupy,
We are loving your Vegan cookbook. Becoming plant based eaters is delicious, with your guidance, even here in SE Alaska.

Do you have any suggestions about making these with gluten free flours?

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Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

3 ½ cups chapati flour, divided
1 ½ cups water

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer, combine 3 cups of the chapati flour with the water and blend until a dough ball forms. You can do this by hand in a deep bowl, but it’s messier—which is a big reason why many of us Indian–American moms sometimes dread making roti. If mixing by hand, put the flour in first and make a well in the center. Add the water and stir vigorously with one hand until the mixture forms a ball. You may have to play around with the amounts a bit. If the dough is sticky, add a little more dry flour. If it’s too dry, add a little more water, 1 teaspoon at a time. My measurements are a good benchmark, which can vary depending on the consistency and brand of the flour.
If using a food processor or mixer, knead the dough ball by hand for 2 to 3 more minutes, until it reaches the desired consistency. Taking the time to knead the dough really well is the key to successful roti, as kneading it develops a network of gluten, the principal protein in wheat. This helps it retain water, which turns to steam when cooking and lightens, or aerates, the roti. Cover the ball of dough with a damp dish towel or paper towel and set aside at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Roti dough can be used immediately, but I find that it helps to let it sit.
Place the remaining ½ cup of dry chapati flour on a plate. Pull off a golf ball–sized chunk (2 tablespoons) of the dough and roll it between your palms until it is as round as possible. The rounder and smoother you can get the dough ball at this point, the better your results will be later, when you’re rolling it out. If it is too sticky to work with easily, roll the ball lightly in the plate containing the dry flour. The trick to making perfectly moist roti is to use the dry flour sparingly. If you use too much, the roti will be dry and hard. A mistake I made early on making roti for my family.
Press the ball between your palms until it is slightly flattened. Place it on a dry, lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin, 6-inch round. As you roll, practice pressing down on the rolling pin more on one side. If done correctly, the roti will turn very slowly on its own, leading to a perfectly round roti. Don’t worry if you have trouble, as this technique takes years to perfect. If you can’t get it down, and the roti sticks to the surface while rolling, just pick it up, dip it very lightly in the dry flour on both sides, and roll it out again.
Repeat the process until you have made 6 to 8 rotis. Place them on a platter or baking tray. The thickness and size of roti varies household to household. Generally, the thinner they are, the better they will puff up later. And not to worry — if you mess up, just roll the dough into a ball and start over.
Warm an ungreased tava, flat griddle, or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. The key is to heat the pan enough that the roti will cook, but not so hot that it will sear as soon as you lay it in the pan. Test the heat level by flicking a drop of water onto the surface. If it evaporates right away, it is hot enough. Experienced roti makers often just touch the pan quickly with their bare fingertips to assess the heat level. If you want to try this, just be sure your hand is completely dry.
Carefully place 1 uncooked roti flat in the hot pan. Cook for about 30 seconds and then flip. Cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Flip it again. Ball up a dish towel or paper towel and press down on the roti until it starts to puff up and looks like it's cooking through on both sides. Keep cooking and flipping it in the pan for a few minutes on both sides or with tongs transfer it onto an open flame and cook again on both sides until it pops open. If opting for the open flame, it will only take a few seconds to cook through - the trick is to keep it moving so it does not burn. Transfer to a plate and butter on one side. Repeat until all the rotis are cooked. When stacking them, make sure the buttered sides face one another. For the full, unabbreviated recipe, turn to page 230 in my book, Indian For Everyone.

Notes

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Stovetop: Roti, Basic Indian Flatbread

WHAT IS THE BREAD INDIANS EAT REGULARLY?

Stovetop: Roti, Basic Indian Flatbread

Ingredients

Instructions

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1 Response

PJ

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