Questions about making Roti

dewani teri · Feb 18th, 2008, 01:20 PM

i have 2 kinds of flour... all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour. how can i make roti out of 'em? what measurements do i use to get it right? i wana be able to make the soft and fluffy roti..

once, i tried to make roti with just whole-wheat, and then just all-purpose..and both times it became really crispy. ( i do add the oil and salt to the dough...but it's just the flour i'm confused about)

and another question. does it make a difference if you use warm water or cold water for kneading?

and is it true that if you sprinkle too much flour while rolling the roti..that it makes the roti hard?

and

<-- i love that smiley.

and any help would be appreciated!

dewani teri · Feb 19th, 2008, 09:44 AM

oh, 1 more question. if you roll the roti and it becomes too thin, does that mean it won't be fluffy anymore?

Femme Fatale · Feb 19th, 2008, 11:23 AM

DT you shouldn;t be using all-purpose flour for making roti, nor the pure whole wheat flour that you get from local stores. Use the whole wheat aata that you can buy in Pakistani/Indian stores. Adding oil isn't even necessary. As long as you have the proper aata meant for making rotis u should be fine.

Kneading it with warm water will make it softer, cold water will make it harder. I prefer warm water or room temp at most. I add salt to the aata and thats about it. You add enough water to hold it together in a medium soft consistency. I usually leave it for about 15 mins then covered wit ha damp cloth. Then u come back sprinkle some salt and work it till its smooth. You will get better rotis if you levae it refridgerated for a couple of hours.

take a ball of dough, larger than a golf ball, smaller than a tennis ball, flatten it with ur hands t hen roll it out. do not use too much dry flour cos that'll prevent the rotis from cooking soft. There is really no set rule to it, u just have to get it right with practise. It took me many many years and lots of daant from mum. when u pick up the roti in ur hand apply some oil to ur hands at that point. cook it in medium high and make sure that first flip is not too late, do it as soon as possible. As for the size of the roti make it as big as ur hands can manage, do not thin it out too much other wise it cooks too hard. Its all trial and error. Good luck!

dewani teri · Feb 19th, 2008, 01:23 PM

hey femme, the all-purpose flour i bought was from an indian store..i guess they have different kinds of flour even in the indian store? i rememeber my mom used all-purpose, mixed with another darker flour...i guess that may have been the authentic roti flour. i was trying to mix it up with whole wheat..and that wasn't working either. i know she bought both of her flours at the indian store too.

sighs. i should've paid more attn to her flour. i know how to make the roti round as can be...but that's about all i know

thanks for ur input ~ i'll go get ithe proper flour and try again!

~MuNiYa~ · Feb 19th, 2008, 01:25 PM

I hate rotis -- making them!
but I love eating them

Femme Fatale · Feb 19th, 2008, 01:28 PM

we use laxmi/lakshmi wholewheat flour and I think its good. not white not too brown either.

Muniya I don;t mind making them provided its just a few I am making and the aata has been done well.