North Indian Rotis and Bread Recipes

Chapathi (Phulka)

for 4, serving 1 or 2 chapathis

1 cup wheat flour (or 1/2 white +1/2 whole wheat)
1/ 2 cup Water

Put our in a large bowl with half the water. Blend the two together until it holds. Beat and knead well until it forms a compact ball. Knead dough until it is smooth and elastic. Set aside for 30 minutes. Knead and divide dough into 4 to 6 parts. Roll each ball into a circle about 1/2 cm thick.

Heat an ungreased skillet(tava). Put chapati on it, and let it cook for about 1 minute (The top should just start to look dry and small bubbles should just start to form). Turn and cook the second side for 2 3 minutes until small bubbles form. Turn again and cook the rst side pressed lightly with a towel. It should puff . Serve warm.

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Kulcha

Maida - 4 cups
Dry yeast 2 tsps
Oil 2 tsps
Salt 1 Tsp
Lukewarm water - to mix the dough
Serves - about 10

Dissolve yeast in half a cup of warm water and keep it in a warm place for 10 -15 minutes. mix salt and oil with flour.Pour dissolved yeast mixture and gather dough with fingertips, using more water to mix the dough. Close with a wet muslin cloth and allow the dough to double its volume(For about 3-4 hours).

Make even sized balls and roll into a thick round chapathi using maida for dredging. Apply water on top of kulcha and turn over to the hot pan so that the water applied part sticks to the pan. Close with a lid and allow to puff upin amedium flame. turn the pan upside down and cook the other side on direct flame tii the top turns into a light brown colour. Serve hot with a little butter.

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Masala Roti

1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1/2 cups gram flour
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
1/2 turmeric powder
2-3 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp cummin seeds
finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp water

Knead a slightly stiff dough, adding all above ingredients, cover with wet cloth. Break off bits and make small potato sized balls. Roll to 3-4 mm thickness. Roast on griddle (tawa) as for phulka.

Or after brown spots appear place direct on gas flame and puff, with help of tongs. Phulka also may be done similarly if puffing with cloth, feels difficult. Apply ghee or butter and serve hot with curds,jam or sauce.

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Naan

3 cups self-raising flour (maida)
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup curds fresh
salt to taste
1/2 tsp baking soda (soda - bicarb)
warm milk for kneading(oil or water can also be used)

Sieve together dry ingredients into a large rimmed plate. Add butter curds, oil and crumble with fingers. When does is like course crumbs, add milk a little at a time, till a soft pliable dough is formed. Cover with wet muslin cloth. Cover with another plate and keep aside for 5 - 6 hours.

Knead dough lightly. Break of piece, the size of a medium potato and roll into a thick triangle, using dry dough if required. Place on a pre-warmed griddle (tawa). Apply water on the top part with hands Invert naan and stick to griddle. Invert griddle and roast over the gas flame directly.Serve hot with a drop of butter on it.

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Paratha

1 cup wheat flour
Ghee
Water

Make chappati dough. Divide into 6 parts and make balls. Flatten and roll each. Spread ghee over them and fold. Roll again. Heat the paratha on a griddle like you would a chappati, but spread some ghee over the top side.

Turn and spread ghee on the other side. Fry until the bottom is crisp and golden, then turn and fry the remain ing side. Repeat with all six. Serve at once, since they lose crispness if stored.

To make Paratha Dough :

2 cups flour
1 tbsp. fat (oil or ghee)
salt to taste
water to knead

Mix all ingredients except water. Add a little at a time and form a soft pliable dough. Keep for 30 minutes before using. Always keep covered with a moist cloth, and see that the cloth is kept moist.
One paratha requires a pingpong ball sized lump of dough. For rolling, use dry flour as in phulka, etc., to roll easier. Dust the roti with dry flour now and then.

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Roti (Plain)


Roti is often referred to as Indian Bread or Indian Fry Bread. It is a staple part of an Indian menu mostly in the northern part of the country.

Ingredients

2 cups slightly coarse wheat flour
1/4 cups maida
2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp curd
salt to taste


Method

Knead slightly stiff dough cover and keep for 2 hours. Take naan sized dough and make a ball. Roll to a thickish roti (4-5 mm thick).

Heat griddle (tawa) place on tawa and dry one side. Wet upper side with water and invert.

Invert griddle and roast over gas flame. It will fall off when done. Serve hot with desired vegetables.
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Tandoori Roti

Serves 6-8 rotis



Wheat flour 1 1/2 cups(225 gms)
Diluted milk 1/2 to 3/4 cup
dry yeast 1/2 tsp
powdered salt 1/2 tsp
cooking soda -a pinch
baking powder - a pinch


Sieve flour with salt, baking powder and soda. heat milk till it is lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast in the milk and mix with a spoon. Cover with a lid and keep in warm place for 10 minutes.Take sieved flour in a broad basin and make a den in the center.Pour yeast mixture into that.

Leave for a minute and gather doudh with hands; Do not knead. Sprinkle warm water if necessary, for mixing the dough. Keep the Dough closed, so that there is enough space fir it to raise.Leave aside for 2-3 hours.Make even sized balls. Roll rotis thicker than normal chapathis. Sprinkle little water on top of the rotis and spread with hand.

Heat an aluminium pan. Put roti on the pan so that water applied sticks to the pan. close the top with a lid.Heat in medium flame till the roti ouffs up. Turn the pan upside down so that the other side of the roti is heated on direct flame. Carefully loosen with a flat laddle and remove from fire. Serve hot.

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