Every bit of colour in these Soft Spinach Roti (chapati) comes from the fresh spinach leaves, so there’s not a drop of food colour in sight. Serve them hot from the pan as they are, or slather them with butter.

Fold them in half, roll into cigars or use them as wraps. Either way, they’re perfect with spicy curries or your favourite sandwich fillings. I like my chapatis small and soft, not big, chewy and dry like tandoori rotis. This is because I grew up in a Gujarati home. Gujaratis adore tender, melt-in-the mouth chapatis. Our way of making chapatis (we call them rotli) is different to how they’re made in other parts of India. If you prefer tandoori-style rotis, reduce the amount of oil in the recipe by half and use warm water instead of hot water to bind the dough.

Roll the Soft Spinach Roti a little bigger and cook as per the recipe below for chewier, restaurant-style rotis.

What are chapatis?

Softer and smaller than your average Punjabi or Pakistani chapatis (commonly known as Roti), these Gujarati-style spinach chapatis have oil in the dough. They are also cooked on a super-hot steel or iron tawa (pan), leaving them delicious and toasty. I don’t cook my chapatis over an open flame because they’re so soft, they’d just break. However, many people do choose to cook their chapatis this way. They still puff up like hot air balloons as they cook, don’t worry.

If you’re planning on cooking rotis over an open flame, pop a trivet or wire rack over the flame for stability first. Only cook the roti over the open flame upon the third flip (the first two turns should still be on the tawa). Use tongs to remove it from the flame and be very careful of the hot steam inside the rotis.

How to make great chapatis

The gold standard for me has to be a round roti that’s double layered from rising that happens during cooking. If your chapati has been rolled evenly, it will puff up upon the third flip on the tawa (or over the open flame). This is important because chapatis are inherently an unleavened bread so the rising all comes from the rolling technique. It’s certainly an art. The surface of the roti should be leopard-spotted and the texture soft.

How do I make my rotis rise?

Make sure the dough is soft and smooth. I use a combination of oil and hot water for my dough. This allows for easier rolling. My mother showed me an amazing trick to create a double layer. It’s done by rolling a piece of dough to a couple of inches in diameter, sprinkling over some flour and then pinching to close before rolling the roti. The roti rises perfectly because of the pocket created by the flour and folding. Find the full instructions in the recipe below.

How do I roll round rotis?

Round chapatis were something I was utterly fascinated by as a child. The first thing I ever ‘cooked’ were raggedy, uneven rotlis using my mini rotli-making set my masi bought me when I was five. I’d peer over our cooker wide-eyed at the hot air balloon show my mum told me was happening. The suspense that built up as they rose from flatbreads to footballs was inexplicably exciting for a little girl obsessed with eating. I would roll out the same piece of dough over and over again and by the end of it, my poor dad would have to eat the splat-shaped biscuit thing I had presented him with such pride. He’d tell me it was delicious that and I was getting better and better.

Thanks Dad.

My point is that practice makes perfect so start off with a simple recipe that yields a soft dough like the one I’m sharing below. Use extra flour to dust your board enough so that the dough doesn’t stick but not so much that the surface becomes chalky. Roll and spin if you can. But if not, roll and turn the roti dough 90•degrees before rolling again. After six or seven turns you’ll have something round-ish. Strive for an even surface. The perfect round shape will come with practice.

What’s the best pan for making rotis?

A traditional Indian tawa made from steel or iron are the best pans for making rotis. Non-stick frying pans aren’t ideal because they don’t get hot enough. A non-stick pan will still work, but the smoky flavour won’t be as pronounced (I think this is the key to good chapatis). Get a tawa from your nearest Indian cookware store. Larger Indian grocery stores may also stock them. You could also buy one online. What’s the best flour for making rotis? Wholewheat chapati flour, also known as “atta”. It’s pale brown in colour and slightly gritty in texture, depending on how finely milled you like it. Most brands offer 2-3 different mills ranging from fine white to medium and brown. You can even buy newer styles such as multigrain and gluten-free chapati atta in the shops now.

How to make delicious Soft Spinach Roti (chapati)

Step 1

First, make the dough using chapati flour, oil and hot water. I add the blended spinach to the dough in my recipe here but you can also omit for plain rotis. Stir with a spoon and when cool enough to handle, knead the dough until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Portion the dough into small balls and cover with a damp tea towel. Heat up the tawa for a good 5 minutes. Roll the dough on a clean work surface or chapati board (chakli/patlo).

Step 3

Use some extra chapati flour to stop it from sticking. First roll to a few inches in diameter, sprinkle the dough with a pinch of flour, spread and then pinch the dough to close. Press with your palm to flatten and seal.

Step 4

Turn the dough over so it’s seal-side down and roll the roti to 17cm (7-inches) in diameter. Dust off any excess flour and slap the roti on to the hit tawa. As soon as small bubbles appear on the surface, flip it using a metal spatula (tavitho).

Step 5

Cook on the other side for 30 seconds until it looks evenly leopard spotted. Flip again.

Step 6

You can transfer to a trivet over an open flame at this point if you like or continue cooking it on the tawa. I cook the chapati on the tawa the whole time because it’s easier and just as delicious. This third side is the rising side. Cook for 20 seconds or so.

Step 7

Don’t worry if it doesn’t rise the first few times. It will come with practice. Once patchy charred marks appear, the roti is done.

Step 8

Remove from the tawa and stack with the dark patchy side (from the third rise) facing upwards. Spread with butter if you like.

Step 9

Repeat for the remaining dough balls.

How to serve Soft Spinach Roti (Chapati)

Serve the Soft Spinach Roti (chapati) with your favourite curry. You could also use them as wraps and fill with your favourite sandwich fillings. I love them filled with succulent tandoori paneer pieces.

For plain chapatis, try my Gujarati Rotli recipe.

How do I store Soft Spinach Roti (chapati)?

I avoid refrigeration when it comes to rotis, it dries them out and they go stale pretty quickly. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 24 hours. Alternatively, you can freeze them well wrapped in an airtight container with pieces of baking parchment between each roti. Defrost at room temperature and reheat on a hot tawa.

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Soft Spinach Roti

Can you believe the dough for these Soft Spinach Chapatis is enriched with a whole bag of spinach? Popeye would be proud! Pack a healthy portion of leafy greens into your meal with this easy recipe the whole family will love.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, chapati, flatbread, roti, spinach, vegan

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Steel or iron tawa
• Rolling pin
• Clean work surface or chapati board
• Metal spatula (tavitho)
• Blender

Ingredients

• 500 g chapatti flour plus more for rolling
• 260 g spinach leaves washed
• 80 ml sunflower oil
• 260 ml water

Instructions

• Place the water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the spinach and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes until wilted. Allow to cool to hot but not boiling.
• Transfer the spinach to a blender and purée until smooth. Open carefully to allow steam to escape.
• Add the flour to a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
• Pour the oil into the well and top up with the blended spinach water.
• Use a spoon to mix the dough. Use your hands to bring the dough together until shaggy. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft.
• Make small golf ball-sized pieces with the dough. Keep some flour on a plate for rolling.
• Line another plate with kitchen paper and keep some butter handy.
• Place the tawa (steel or irohot plate or a frying pan on a medium heat. Leave it for 5 minutes so it’s very hot.
• Get your rolling board and rolling pin ready. Keep a wet sponge under the board so it doesn’t move.
• To start rolling, take a piece of dough and roll it between your palms, flattening it slightly. Dip each side in flour.
• Roll it once up and down with the rolling pin and then take a pinch of flour. Place it in the middle of the dough and then use your index fingers and thumb to pinch it closed, starting from the outer edges. This step isn’t something everyone traditionally does but is what my mum taught me for soft rotli that rise.
• Next, flatten the dough using your palm and again, dip each side in flour. Now, begin rolling the dough in a circular motion, teasing the dough to move around with your rolling. If you can’t do this, pick the roti up with one hand and move it around yourself. The aim is to create a perfectly round, even surface and a flatbread that’s around 2mm in thickness and 6-7-inches in diameter.
• Place the roti on the cast iron hotplate and cook until little bubbles appear on the surface – around 10 seconds. Flip it.
• Cook it on the second side until small, even brown spots appear all over the bottom of the rotli – around 30 seconds. Flip it.
• Now, this is the rising side. Don’t worry if your rotis don’t rise the first few times you try it. It comes with practice. They’ll still taste delicious. Cook until darker, less evenly-spread patches appear on the bottom. Around 15-20 seconds. Flip it and place it this side up on your kitchen paper-lined plate. Butter it.
• Repeat this process for all of your roti until you have a beautiful, buttery stack.

Notes

• I avoid refrigeration when it comes to rotis, it dries them out and they go stale pretty quickly. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 24 hours.
• Alternatively, you can freeze them well wrapped in an airtight container with pieces of baking parchment between each roti. Defrost at room temperature and reheat on a hot tawa.

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Love Sanjana

The post Soft Spinach Roti (Chapati) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

It’s my most favourite smell in the whole world because it represents my childhood, my family and every moment (both happy and sad) in our home.

Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli) – our daily bread

As far as day-to-day cooking goes, chapati (also called roti or rotli) are the glue that sticks everything on the Indian dinner table together. It scoops up curry and daal, pickle and everything in between.

Chapatis are everyday staple and without them, a weeknight meal would be incomplete. I’ve known Gujarati folks who won’t touch their dinner unless there are hot, freshly-made rotli on the table.

What are the different types of Roti?

In Indian cuisine, Chapati come in many different forms. Each region will have a take on it and that take will differ from village to village and home to home. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to making chapati – it’s all down to personal choice.

Naming also varies depending on local language and dialect. You can find rotis from South Asia to Malaysia and Africa to the Caribbean.

A handful of different names for this unleavened flatbread (from around the world)

• Chapati (or chapatti)
• Roti
• Phulka
• Rotli
• Safati
• Shabaati
• Roshi

… and so many more

Phulka

Typically, Phulka (soft, thin, risen chapati) are most common in Gujarati homes. This is the style I grew up eating. We call them Rotli at home.

Softer and smaller than your average North Indian-style (tandoor cooked) roti (the kind you get in most Anglo-Indian restaurants), these Phulka have oil in the dough and are cooked on a super-hot steel pan (called a tawa or lodhi). So delicious and toasty!

I don’t often cook my rotli over an open flame because they’re so soft, they’d just break. They still puff up like hot air balloons as they cook on the lodhi.

Memories of my mother’s Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli)

They are something I was utterly fascinated by as a child. The first thing I ever ‘cooked’ were raggedy, uneven rotlis using my mini rotli-making set my aunty bought me when I was five.

Other recipes you might like:

• Soft Spinach Roti recipe
• Paneer Kulcha recipe
• Buttermilk Naan recipe
• Thepla recipe
• Masala Poori recipe
• Aloo Paratha recipe

From flatbreads to footballs

I’d peer over our cooker wide-eyed at the hot air balloon show my mum told me was happening. The suspense that built up as they rose from flatbreads to footballs was inexplicably exciting for a little girl obsessed with cooking.

I would roll out the same piece of dough over and over again and by the end of it, my poor dad would have to eat the splat-shaped biscuit thing. It would be presented it to him with such pride. Of course, he’d tell me it was delicious that and I was mastering it. I wasn’t.

Thanks Dad.

How I make Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli) at home

There’s a certain routine to making rotli you wouldn’t dare mess with. Ask any Indian cook; once their routine is set in its ways, you’d be a fool to question it.

Everything from the patlo (board), to the velan (thin Indian rolling pin) and the tavitho (steel utensil used to flip the rotli), to the number of times the rotli is actually flipped, a cook’s rotli routine is sacred.

Making rotli at someone else’s house is literally the worst. “They never rise, the thickness of the velan is all wrong and the lodhi never gets hot enough”, etc, etc, etc. Of course, when it’s you having to explain your flat-as-a-pancake rotlis, all these excuses are valid.

Can Roti be frozen?

I recommend freezing roti after you have rolled them. Place between sheets of parchment paper or food-grade acetate to prevent sticking. Stack the roti one on top of the other and ensure you place a new sheet between each one.

Wrap tightly in foil and freeze. Cook from frozen, do not defrost.

Should I add butter or ghee to my chapati?

Everyone has their preferences on whether or not they add butter. I do because life is better with butter.

One of my favourite ways of eating rotli is straight off the lodhi, slathered with garlic butter and rolled into a cigar. This is what my Nanabapu (grandad) would do for my mum when she was little and something she then did for our my brother and I too.

How to roll round Roti

Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli)

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Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli)

How to make soft and round roti. Indian chapati or roti recipe with step-by-step photos. Amazing with curry and lighter than naan or paratha.

Equipment

• Tawa (steel or anodised aluminium work best). If this isn’t available, a cast iron frying pan will do. Roti won’t brown very well on non-stick pans and may turn hard or brittle.
• Rolling pin
• Rolling board or clean work surface

Ingredients

• 500 g wholewheat chapatti flour atta, plus more for rolling
• 80 ml any cooking oil vegetable, corn, rapeseed, sunflower etc
• 300 ml boiling water or enough to make a soft dough

Instructions

• Add the flour to a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the oil into the well and top up with the boiling water.
• Use a spoon to mix the dough until it’s cool enough to handle. Use your hands to bring the dough together. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and soft.
• Make small ping pong ball-sized pieces with the dough. Keep some flour on a plate for rolling.
• Get another plate lined with kitchen paper and keep your butter or ghee handy.
• Pre-heat a tawa over medium heat. I use steel but anodised aluminium is great too. Leave it for 5 minutes.
• Get your rolling board and rolling pin ready. Keep a wet tea towel under the board so it doesn’t move around while you roll.
• To start rolling, take a piece of dough and roll it between your palms, flattening it slightly. Dip each side in flour.
• Roll it once up and down with the rolling pin and then take a pinch of flour. Place it in the middle of the dough and then use your index fingers and thumb to pinch it closed, starting from the outer edges. This step isn’t something everyone traditionally does but is what my mum taught me for soft roti that rise beautifully.
• Next, flatten the dough using your palm and again, dip each side in flour. Now, begin rolling the dough in a circular motion, teasing the dough to move around with your rolling. If you can’t do this, pick the roti up with one hand and move it around yourself. The aim is to create a perfectly round, even surface and a flatbread that’s around 2mm in thickness and 6-7-inches in diameter.
• Place the roti on the tawa and cook until little bubbles appear on the surface – around 10 seconds. Flip it.
• Cook it on the second side until small, even brown spots appear all over the bottom of the roti – around 30 seconds. Flip it again.
• Now, this is the rising side. Don’t worry if your rotis don’t rise the first few times you try it. It comes with practice. They’ll still taste delicious. Cook until darker, less evenly-spread patches appear on the bottom. Around 15-20 seconds. Flip it and place it this side up on your kitchen paper-lined plate. Spread with butter or ghee.
• Repeat this process for all of your rotli until you have a perfect stack. You can keep them warm in an insulated container or lidded casserole dish lined with kitchen paper.

How to serve Roti

Serve hot with your favourite curry, daal, sambhar, chutney or pickle. I love them with this Melt-in-the-Mouth Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry.

It’s not imperative they rise – they will still taste great! Most importantly, keep practising. It’s so worth it.

If you like this Roti, you’ll love my recipe for Thepla

Love Sanjana

The post Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

If you’re looking for a flatbread with big, bold flavours, you’ve come to the right place. The traditional Thepla of my childhood are unstuffed and served spread with butter or ghee. Paired with Sukha Bateta nu Shaak (dry potato and cashew curry), it’s family comfort food at its best.

My memories of eating Thepla made by the expert hands of my mum are ones I still treasure today. They would be smoking hot off the tawa, rolled up like a cigar and dripping with golden butter – and first thing in the morning too. Thepla are the ultimate breakfast bread and waking up to the smell of them toasting on a hot pan outweigh the feeling of hitting snooze on Sunday morning. Trust me.

Packed with the smoky, slightly-bitter caramel notes of fresh fenugreek leaves, these turmeric-hued discs of fluffy bread are one of the most iconic recipes of Gujarat. Traditional Thepla are as I said, eaten with potato curry, masala chai, pickles and chutneys.

Here, I’ve combined the beauty of fluffy potatoes and fenugreek leaf-studded bread to create Aloo Stuffed Thepla. Yeah, it’s a little unconventional incorporating the potato element into the bread itself, but since when was sticking to the rules any fun?

So WTF is fenugreek? They look like coriander but bury your nose in a bunch of fresh fenugreek and you’ll instantly know they are in a league of their own. Not dissimilar to the deep burnt sugar flavours of Marmite, fresh fenugreek leaves are one of those ingredients you’ll either love or hate. They have a slightly bitter caramel taste and I find that fans of dark chocolate tend to love fenugreek too.

It’s important to know that fresh fenugreek leaves and fenugreek seeds aren’t interchangeable. The seeds have a deeply nutty aroma and the flavour is bitter in the same way great coffee and cacao beans are bitter. They lend amazing complexity to Indian recipes in very different ways so remember not to substitute one for the other. It would be like subbing coriander seeds for fresh coriander. Not a great idea.

Kasuri or Kasoori methi are dried fenugreek leaves and indeed, can be used in place of fresh fenugreek. The flavour is much more concentrated in the same way any dried ingredient is stronger in flavour compared to the fresh counterpart. Added to rich, makhani sauces, it’s an absolute game changer. To release the full aromas, simply rub it between your palms and add towards the end of cooking or to finish a dish.

There’s not a type of bread I don’t love but recently I’ve developed a huge passion for breads with a punch of flavour rather than bread being secondary to another main dish. In this recipe, the Aloo Stuffed Thepla are the star of their very own show, perhaps accompanied by a selection of chutneys, achaars, plain yoghurt and chai.

Find out exactly how to prepare these step-by-step in my first YouTube video below. Let me know what you think.

Aloo Stuffed Thepla
Makes 18-20

Ingredients

For the filling:
1kg floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, peeled, boiled and mashed until really smooth
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
2-3 chillies, chopped
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) or 2 tbsp lemon juice
80g frozen peas, defrosted and pulsed in a food processor until coarsely crushed
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped coriander, optional

For the dough:
550g chapatti flour
2 tsp turmeric
5 tbsp chopped fresh fenugreek leaves (if you’re using kasoori methi, use just under 1 tbsp)
1 ½ tsp salt
100ml sunflower oil
320ml hot water

125g melted butter or ghee

Method

1. First, make the filling. Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Allow them to sizzle slightly, then add in the ginger, garlic and chillies. Cook for a minute. Next, add in the peas, potatoes, garam masala, amchur, salt and coriander if using. Mix well and cook until heated through. Set aside to cool.

2. To make the dough, place the chapatti flour in a large bowl or tray. Mix in the salt, turmeric and chopped fenugreek. Make a well in the middle and add the oil. Pour in the water and stir until cool enough to handle. Go in with your hands and knead for 4-5 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough.

3. Divide the dough into golf ball-sized rounds and roll between your palms until smooth.

4. Do the same for the filling but take slightly more than the size of the dough.

5. Roll the dough to about 3-4” in diameter and place the potato ball on top. Using your thumbs and forefingers, pinch the dough closed around the filling, starting in the middle and working your way outwards. The filling wrapped in dough should be fully enclosed with no gaps or holes.

6. Flatten the ball using the palm of your hand. Dust with flour on both sides and flip over. You will need to roll the smooth side.

7. Begin rolling the dough, turning gently as you do. Ensure it is even all over and dust with more flour if necessary. Try to aim for 1/2cm in thickness.

8. Cook in a dry, non-stick frying pan, turning once and spreading the dry-cooked side with some butter or ghee. Flip and repeat. The underside should be golden in a few moments, flip again and cook on the next side until golden.

9. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the dough and filling.

So, as if by magic, you’re now a paratha extraordinaire and well on your way to rustling up some bread to accompany your favourite Indian dishes. Enjoy making these Stuffed Aloo Thepla and once you get the hang of rolling, remember to have fun creating your own fillings and flavours.

These are in-freakin’-sane with Gor Keri (sweet mango pickle with fennel seeds). You can buy it ready made or make your own. I’ll share my recipe soon.

Love Sanjana

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