Roti or Chapati – Indian flatbread

Today we would like to introduce you to a traditional Indian dish. It is the roti, also called chapati, a flatbread made from barley, millet and whole wheat flour. In India, roti or chapati is one of the staple foods and is famous for its fluffy texture and filling effect.

The bread goes perfectly with other Indian dishes such as curries or the famous dhal (lentil stew).

It is made traditionally, very simple from few ingredients. Because it is whole wheat flour, the roti or chapati also contains a lot of fiber and important minerals. The whole wheat flour, barley and millet are best freshly milled with one of our Salzburg grain mills (e.g. MT12). Our recipe does not contain animal products and is therefore vegan.

Ingredients:

250g chapati wholemeal flour (a mixture of barley, millet and whole wheat flour, freshly milled with the Salzburg grain mill)

120 ml water

1 tablespoon oil

½ tsp spread salt

evt. Herbs/spices (thyme, oregano, turmeric…)

Flour for rolling

Preparation:

First mix the flour mixture with water, salt, the oil and herbs and spices little by little. Then knead the mixture by hand until a smooth dough is formed. Then let the resulting dough of chapati rest at room temperature for about 1 hour.

When the dough has finished resting, form balls the size of a ping pong ball. Then roll out the balls until the patty is about 15 cm in diameter. To facilitate rolling, we recommend adding a little flour to the kitchen surface.

Dry fry the dough patties in a hot pan (iron pans are best) for about 1-2 minutes on each side. When bubbles form in the dough, turn the bread and press it down to obtain an even shape.

After baking, spread some oil on the roti or chapati and keep it warm. The roti/chapati is served warm and ideally with a dhal, curry or spread.

P.S. Need a fresh, summery dish for hot days? Click here for the recipe for a primal grain salad.

P.P.S Click here to find out more about the ancient grain emmer.