Once you taste these unleavened, unsalted simple breads - a person is hooked. This is simple, unpretentious home cooking but very satisfying, healthy and easy on the pocket book. There are also excellent for those with a yeast allergy. Rotis are made from small balls of dough that are rolled out and then partially cooked on a hot griddle and then finished directly over high heat. The high heat makes the rotis puff up into a ball. They are then lightly coated with ghee to keep them pliable until serving time. Line a tortilla basket with a napkin and keep the rotis in it. Allow 2-3 chapattis or rotis per person. This is everyday Indian bread made in most Indian homes daily.
Ingredients to make about 6:
2.5 cups chapatti flour
1 cup water at room temperature
1 cup chapatti flour
ghee,
Method to roll out the dough:
Prepare the desired amount of dough from the Basic Dough recipe. After resting for 2-2 1/2 hours, knead well. Divide the dough into peach-size balls. On a lightly floured surface, flatten one ball of dough with your hand. Using a rolling-pin, roll out the dough into a thin, round patty, about 5 inches in diameter. Roll from the centre, turning patty several times to prevent sticking. Try to make the edges slightly thinner than the centre. As you cook the chapatti/roti, one could be rolling out the next, rather than shaping all of the chapattis at one time.
Method of cooking the chapatti or roti:
Preheat a cast-iron tawa over medium heat. Place the rolled dough on the palm of one hand and flip it over on to the tawa. When the colour changes on the top and bubbles appear, turn it over. When both sides are done, use kitchen tongs (chimta) to remove the chapatti from the skillet.
Gas Stove: If you have a gas stove, hold the cooked chapatti over a medium flame and it will puff up immediately. Turn quickly to flame-bake the other side. Do this several times, taking care that the edges are well cooked.
Electric Stove: If you have an electric stove, chapattis can be encouraged to puff by pressing them with a clean kitchen towel after the first turn on each side. Repeat the shaping and cooking process until all chapattis are cooked.
To keep the chapattis warm as they are cooked, place them in a towel-lined bowl and fold over the sides of the towel. Serve hot, either completely dry or topped with a small amount of ghee or butter.