The Roti is also known as Chapati, and are the most traditional flat bread from India and are very popular in South Africa and many other countries. Rotis came to South Africa in the 19th century and became very important in the Durban cuisine as they are usually eaten with curries. Rotis date back to more than 5000 years ago and were first created by the Indus Valley Civilization. Today there are many variations and types of Rotis from many counties, and there is a lot of variation with Rotis just in India.
Main Ingredientes:
- Atta flour – Whole meal wheat flour
- Hot water
Different ways to cook Rotis:
- Tandoor – Cylindrical clay or metal oven used in cooking and baking
- Tawa – Made from cast iron or aluminum, a large flat frying pan.
- On a direct gas flame
- Non-stick pan
The difference between Roti Bread and Naan bread
| Roti | Naan |
| Unleavened Bread | Yeast-leavened bread |
| Can be eaten several times a day | Can be eaten just once a day |
| Light bread | Heavy bread |
| Rolled thinner | Rolled not so thin |
I made a slightly different recipe so let’s go to the recipe:
Ingredientes:
- 254 gr white bread flour
- 180 ml of boiling water (You might need to add a little bit more)
- 1 Teaspoon of salt
- 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
You can substitute the olive oil for butter, ghee or even make it with no fat at all.
Process:
I am going to make my Roti dough by hand or you can add all the ingredients into your mixer and use a paddle attachment to mix it for a few minutes at low speed until the dough forms. Or, if you would like to mix your dough by hand, this is how you can make it.
Making your Roti Dough by hand:
- Add the flour onto the middle of the table
- Spread out your flour to leave a hole in the middle.
- Add the salt onto of the flour in a circle.
- Add boiling water and olive oil to the hole in the middle.
- Start mixing and kneading the dough by hand.
- If it feels like it needs more water, add a small amount and then more if needed.
- Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes until it’s soft and easy to handle.
- Cover the dough with a cloth and leave it to rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide the Roti dough into small portions – You can use a scale to be more precise, but I just divide mine by hand. I recommend that you divide your dough into 8 small portions
- Roll them into small balls.
- Once you have 8 small dough balls, flatten each of them out onto the table one by one using a rolling pin until they have a flat circular shape. To make perfect Rotis, roll them very thinly and use flour to help them not stick to the rolling pin or table.
Cooking your Rotis:
- Use a non-stick pan
- Heat the pan to a high temperature.
- Once your pan is hot, add one Roti at a time.
- Cook the Roti for a few seconds and flip it over.
- Cook for a few more seconds and then it will be ready.
- Keep your Rotis inside a cloth to keep them warm.
The best part about making Rotis is that you can enjoy them with a nice steaming hot curry from Durban, South Africa.
