Back to the rotis

An Italian TV show has angered Indians by calling our humble staple 'balloon bread'. Ignore the name but try these traditional recipes for sure

MAKKI ROTI

Ingredients

1 small radish (optional)

4 cups of maize flour (makki atta)

1 green chilli (finely chopped)

1 cup radish leaves (finely chopped)

Salt to taste

Method

Take one small radish and peel and grate it (this is optional). Add a pinch of salt to it, mix and keep it aside.

Take a bowl. Add 4 cups of maize flour, salt, 1 green chilli finely chopped, and 1 cup of radish leaves, again finely chopped. Mix them well.

Squeeze the water out of grated radish, add it to the flour, mix and knead into a dough. Divide the dough into small balls. Roll them out by pressing with wet hands evenly or press it between a roti maker.

Heat a pan and cook the roti on both sides on a low flame.

RUMALI ROTI

Ingredients

2 cup maida

¼ cup wheat flour

1 tbsp salt

¾ cup milk

Salt to taste

Method

Take a big bowl and add 2 cups of maida, ¼ cup of wheat flour and 1 tbsp of salt to it. Mix well. Then add ¾ cup and combine them into a sticky dough. Add 2 tbsp of oil and knead for 5 more minutes till you get a super soft dough. Grease the dough with 2 tbsp of oil, cover and let it rest for four hours.

After 4 hours, remove the cover, knead again and divide it into small balls.

Dust maida on these dough balls and roll them as thinly as possible.

Heat a kadai for 2 minutes and then flip over and sprinkle some salt water on the kadai. Place the roti on the back of the kadai evenly with hands.

Cook the roti till it puffs up slightly.

MISSI ROTI

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup wheat flour (atta)

¾ cup gram flour (besan)

¼ tsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp pepper (crushed)

¼ ajwain (carom)

1/2 tbsp aamchur

Asafoetida pinch

1 tbsp kasuri methi

1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 green chilli (finely chopped)

Half onion (finely chopped)

2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

1/2 tbsp salt

Required oil

Method

Take a container. Add wheat flour, gram flour, turmeric, pepper, ajwain, 1/2 tbsp aamchur, a pinch of asafoetida, kasuri methi, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli, onion, coriander leaves and salt to it and mix well.

Add half a cup of water and knead the mix into a smooth and soft dough. It can take up to 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the dough and knead again.

Take a ball-sized dough, dust it with wheat flour and then roll out gently. Dust off the flour later.

Heat a tawa. Cook the roti for a minute on one side, using ½ tbsp of oil or ghee on each side.

ALOO PARATHA

Ingredients

2 cup wheat flour

3 boiled potatoes (big size)

1 onion (finely chopped)

2 green chilli (finely chopped)

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

¼ tbsp turmeric

½ tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp chilli powder

¼ aamchur powder (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Water as required

Method

Knead 2 cups of wheat flour, 1 tbsp oil, salt and water together to form a soft dough. Grease it with some oil, cover and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

Mash 3 boiled potatoes.

Heat a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of oil. Add chopped onion and stir for 2 minutes. Add 2 finely-chopped green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, amchur powder (optional), salt and mix well. Later, add the mashed potatoes and chopped coriander leaves to it and bring them all together.

Switch off the flame and let the stuffing get cool down.

Take a small portion of the dough and roll it out into a small disc. Place the potato stuffing in the centre of it, close the dough and roll it slightly.

Roast on low flame with oil or ghee on both
the sides.