Roti or Flat Bread is a staple food item of every Pakistani cuisine. Without a roti, no meal time is complete. It’s a round, flat bread made of whole wheat flour and is eaten with curries, lentils, and sometimes with a chutney. Making a roti seems like an easy task, but it actually requires a whole lot more precision and expertise than you can imagine. You have to make the dough smooth enough to not leave any lump, roll it so flat as to not leave any part thick and uncookable, and then bake it or cook it at just the right temperature to not burn it. Here is a comprehensive guide to make perfect rotis without using any tool or appliance.
Roti is typically made of wheat flour, but some people prefer their rotis made out of all purpose flour, corn, or chickpea flour. Whichever flour you want to use, pour it in a deep bowl and add some water into it. Start mixing the flour with your hands as you add water bit by bit. Don’t pour a lot of water or else your dough will become runny and slimy. You want to keep your dough thick, smooth, and silky. Use the heel of your palm to spread the dough, then fold it and knead it again. Keep kneading the dough using the back of your fist until it’s all evenly combined and looks supple and smooth. Collect the dough in a separate bowl and set it aside or put it in a fridge.
Rolling The DoughWhen the time comes to make rotis, separate a piece of dough with your hand, the same size as a tennis ball and roll it between your hands until it becomes nicely rounded. Then place the dough ball on a clean flat surface and start rolling it with the help of a rolling pin. Even out the wrinkles and roll the dough as flat as you can. Move the rolling pin all the way through the flat bread so every inch of it is evenly rolled and flat.
Cooking the RotiOnce your dough is all flat and rolled, take it off the flat surface carefully so as not to break any part of it. Place it carefully on your palm and then quickly place it over the Tawa. Make sure the tawa is preheated and is hot enough to start cooking the roti as soon as it’s put on it. Keep the roti in circular motion on the tawa to prevent any part of it burning too much and sticking on Tawa.
Use a flat tong to move the roti on the tawa and then remove the tawa and heat the roti directly above the flame to inflate it. Put the tawa back on and flip the roti and do the same on the other side until the roti is nicely baked from both sides.
Tip: Make sure not to over cook or burn the roti. The test is to look for black burn patches on the bread. Small patches do not indicate burnt bread. But if the patches are bigger and darker, it means you have burnt your roti. Voila! Your roti is ready. Add a bit of butter or ghee on it for more flavour.
