Roti Making: How to Make Soft, Fluffy Indian Flatbread at Home
When you think of roti making, the art of shaping and cooking soft, round whole wheat flatbreads that are a daily staple across India. Also known as chapati, it’s not just bread—it’s the foundation of countless meals, from dal and curry to pickles and yogurt. Forget store-bought versions that are dry or rubbery. Real roti is alive—warm, pliable, and slightly charred at the edges—with a smell that fills the kitchen and makes everyone hungry.
Good roti starts with the right whole wheat flour, also called atta, a coarse, high-fiber flour that holds moisture and gives roti its chewy texture. Not all flour is the same. Indian atta has more gluten than regular whole wheat flour, which is why your roti might fall apart if you use the wrong kind. Then there’s the roti dough, a simple mix of flour, water, and a pinch of salt that needs to rest for at least 20 minutes to relax the gluten. Skip this step, and your roti will shrink, crack, or turn hard. Water temperature matters too—lukewarm works best. Too cold, and the dough won’t bind. Too hot, and you’ll kill the natural enzymes that help it stay soft.
Rolling is where most people mess up. You don’t need a fancy rolling pin. A smooth bottle or even a clean glass works. The trick? Roll from the center out, turning the dough a quarter turn after every few rolls. Keep it thin but not see-through. Too thick? It’ll be doughy inside. Too thin? It’ll tear. Then comes the tawa, the flat cast iron or nonstick griddle that’s the heart of roti making. Heat it right—medium-high, not smoking. Press the roti gently with a cloth as it puffs up. That puff? That’s the steam escaping, and it’s your sign it’s done. No puff? Your dough is too dry or the tawa isn’t hot enough.
And don’t forget the final touch—gently pressing the roti with a clean cloth right after cooking. It traps steam, keeps it soft, and makes it ready to wrap around any curry. Roti making isn’t complicated, but it’s not random either. It’s a rhythm: mix, rest, roll, cook, press. Do it right, and you’ll never go back to packaged roti. The posts below show you how to fix common mistakes, make roti without a tawa, use different flours like bajra or jowar, and even store it for days without losing freshness. Whether you’re new to Indian cooking or just tired of dry roti, you’ll find the exact tips that work—no fluff, no theory, just results.
