How to make perfect, soft chakki atta roti at home?

Rotis are a part of household cuisines in every North-Indian home. They are eaten from breakfast to dinner.

But making delicious soft Rotis is a skill that requires precision. Thus you need to know the process and the exact measures to excel at the art of roti-making.

Read till the end to know the entire process of making soft Rotis in detail.  

Table of Contents

• The Dough 

• Kneading the Dough 

• Water in the Dough 

• Resting the Dough 

• Rolling out Rotis 

• Cooking Soft Rotis 

• Conclusion

The Dough 

You just need two simple ingredients - whole wheat flour or chakki atta, and water to make the dough for rotis or chapatis. Some people like to add a pinch of salt while others might add a little oil, but mostly the dough is prepared without these extra ingredients. 

Kneading the dough

The prepared dough must be soft, smooth and pliable. It essentially means that you should not encounter too much resistance while pressing down on the dough. Also, when you press it with your fingers, it should leave a mark. 

Plus the dough should neither be sticky nor too dry. It must feel smooth to touch. Once you mix the flour and water well, start kneading with your knuckles and palm. Stretch the dough with your palms, bring it back with your fingers and knead with your knuckles. Repeat this sequence till it feels soft.

Water in the Dough

Water plays a really important role in preparing the dough. The steam that comes out once the rolled-out Rotis are placed on heat is a result of the water content in the dough. Thus, it is water that makes the Rotis puff up. 

Therefore, a few extra drops of water and some extra minutes while kneading might not be a bad choice. The chakki atta keeps absorbing the water. 

So, the more water you can incorporate into the dough without making it sticky, the better.

Resting the Dough

Resting the dough might not exactly be critical to making good Rotis but it is definitely useful.

Resting the dough simply helps it come together and smoothen out even further. Thus, the dough gets more pliable, easier to roll, and produces softer Rotis after being rested for a while.

Rolling out Rotis

This step might be the trickiest one and honestly, it comes to you only with practice and patience. 

Don't get hung up on the shape of the Rotis as a beginner. As long as they are close to a circle, you should be good to go. 

A small lime-sized ball of dough is enough. But make sure it's smooth and round as you start. Next, roll out the balls gently with a rolling pin. Too much pressure might cause a tear, while too little pressure won’t let your roti flatten out evenly.

Cooking soft Rotis

Start cooking them on a hot tawa or skillet. If the skillet is not hot enough, the Rotis will take too long to cook and eventually dry out. After starting with the Rotis on a tawa, you need to finish things on an open flame so that they puff up. If you don't have an open flame or are not comfortable with it, you can press down the roti gently with a cloth, along the sides and it will begin to puff up on the skillet itself.

Conclusion 

So, this was a simple recipe that will help you make soft chakki atta Rotis at home. 

Don't forget, hot Rotis are best served with some ghee applied on top. However, you can choose to go with some butter as well.

Soft Rotis are good for taste but you need to ensure that you pick the right atta for your health. You should only choose premium quality fresh chakki atta, like the one delivered by India Gate.