Roti
Roti is a type of flatbread and a staple in most Indian households in Fiji. We had roti for dinner most nights and while at school, if we weren't going home for lunch, 'roti parcels' were what was packed for lunch. These were two rotis filled with curry and wrapped in greaseproof paper to make a parcel; essentially the modern day wraps.
In spite of having eaten roti practically my whole life, it is only recently that I've worked out how to get really nice soft rotis. I must qualify this. Even though I now make soft rotis that puff up when as they cook, my rotis don't compare to my late aunt's rotis. Her rotis were not only soft, but paper thin as well. I have watched her make rotis a number of times, but when I use the quantity of ghee that she used, and roll them as thinly as hers, they become a little crisp. However, I haven't given up.
Makes 16 rotis
Ingredients
3 cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2-4 tbsp ghee
1 1/3 cups boiling water
Method
Sift flour into a large basin. Rub about a tablespoon of ghee into the flour.
Stir through about a cup of water. I use a fork to gently mix the water into the flour. At this stage, you will have a lumpy mass of flour. set aside for a few minutes until cool enough to handle the dough.
Gently knead, bringing together any dry bits flour, and sprinkling as much of the remaining water as need to make a soft and slightly tacky dough.
Now knead in the ghee, a bit at a time until the dough is no longer tacky. You may not need to use all the ghee.
Rest the dough in the basin, covered so it doesn't dry out, for at least 10 minutes (can be left longer).
Divide the dough into 16 pieces. I do this by dividing the dough in half and then keep dividing each piece into two until I end up with 16 pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and flatten between the palms of your hand.
Lightly dust with dry flour and roll each ball into a thin circle, approximately 18cm in diameter. Turn over and rotate the dough a few times as you roll to ensure even thickness and that it doesn't stick to the board.
Heat a griddle or fry pan over moderate heat. Lightly dab a piece of paper towel with some ghee and rub it over the surface of the griddle or fry pan. You only need to do this once, before you cook the first roti.
When the griddle is hot, cook the roti, one at a time, again turning it around and flipping over every few so that it cooks evenly all over and on both sides. The roti will cook in one to two minutes.
Notes
While roti is usually made with atta or sharps, I find I also get good results from using just plain flour. If you do use atta or sharps, you may need extra water. Aim for a soft, but not sticky, dough.
You can get away with using as little as 1 tbsp or no ghee at all, but I find my rotis aren't as soft when I skimp on the ghee or don't put any at all.
I spread a large sheet of greaseproof paper on my benchtop and roll out out at least four rotis before I heat the griddle. This way I can cook the roti and keep up with rolling the remaining dough at the same time. Or get someone to help - one to roll, the other to cook.
Put the cooked rotis on a plate covered with a clean tea towel. This way the steam won't make the roti go soggy.
If you like, you can smear the rotis with ghee half way through cooking, flip over and smear the other side.
Leftover rotis can be frozen. Reheat on the griddle for a few seconds. Uncooked dough can be kept in the fridge overnight.
To make the roti more nutritious, I sometimes add a handful of chopped fenugreek leaves - mix it into the dry flour before adding water.
