Best Roti Flatbread Recipes

MALAYSIAN FLATBREAD (ROTI CANAI) WITH CURRIED LENTIL DIP

Steps:

• Combine bread flour, sugar, kosher salt, egg, melted butter, and water for roti canai in a mixing bowl. Mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to a work surface and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 7 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and form each one into a ball. Coat each ball with vegetable oil, transfer to a plate, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 hours, to overnight.
• Melt butter for dip in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, kosher salt, curry powder, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper; stir together and saute until onion has softened and spices are fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it starts to toast and caramelize on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in cold water and coconut milk. Add lentils; stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 40 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Reduce heat to low and keep warm while you prepare the roti canai.
• Place 1/4 cup melted butter in a bowl. Transfer rested dough balls onto a lightly oiled work surface. Flatten each ball slightly and rub a little melted butter on top. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it warm up slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Press on top of the plastic wrap to flatten warmed dough. Remove plastic wrap and add a bit more butter. Stretch each piece from the center out to get it as thin as possible (until almost see-through), adding more butter as needed. Don't worry if there are a few small tears.
• Sprinkle on more melted butter, then pull two sides in towards the center until touching and overlapping slightly. Pull the other two edges in the same way to form a square. Cover with plastic wrap and flatten roti canai one more time.
• Add some melted butter to a skillet set over medium or medium-low heat. Add roti canai and cook until browned, flaky, and crispy on the outside and fully cooked through on the inside, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Remove from the skillet and smush it with your hands to fluff it up and separate the layers of dough. Repeat to cook remaining roti canai.
• Sprinkle the curried red lentil dip with cilantro and sliced serrano peppers and serve alongside the roti canai.

POL ROTI (COCONUT ROTI/INDIAN FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together the flour, coconut and salt.
• Add some water.
• Grease your palm with a little butter.
• Then, mix the batter well to form a dough.
• (The idea behind greasing your palms is to avoid the batter from sticking to your palms).
• Add chillies and onions.
• Mix well.
• Divide the dough into 6-8 equal sized balls.
• Then, using a rolling pin, on a floured board, roll out each ball into a round roti.
• Heat a flat pan (tawa).
• Put the roti on it in the middle of the pan.
• When one side is cooked, turn it and cook the other side until light brown specs appear on either side.
• Remove from pan.
• Serve hot with Pol Sambhar (recipe posted separately).

POL ROTI (COCONUT FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• Sift flour into a bowl and mix in salt and coconut.
• Add as much water as needed to have a stiff dough that doesn't stick to your hands. knead well.
• Separate into even balls and flatted to make circles, 1/2" thick and 3 to 4" wide.
• Sear both sides on a hot frying pan or cast iron skillet abt 3 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked in middle.

FLATBREAD: ROTI

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add oil and enough water until a dough forms, not too dry. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes, cut dough into 8 equal pieces, and form balls. Allow dough to rest for 2 minutes. Roll dough out on floured board until it measures 6 to 8-inch disks.
• Heat a griddle over medium heat, when hot brush the griddle with oil. Brush the roti disks with oil on both sides, place on cast-iron hot griddle, and cook until top starts to blister. Flip roti and cook for 1 minute more. Serve warm.

ROTI FLATBREAD RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Place flour(s) in a bowl. Mix in the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add water slowly, stirring as you go, until dough starts to come together. Keep stirring, adding a little more water if dough is still dry, until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto counter and knead, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky. Dough should be soft, but not sticky enough to stick to your hands or the counter. Let dough rest for 10 minutes, covered with a damp cloth. Roll out dough in a large circle, about 1/4" thickness. Spread about 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over the surface of the dough. Roll the dough up into a long roll. Cut the dough into 10 spirals. Roll each spiral out flat into a 6 inch circle. Let circles rest, covered with damp cloth, for 5 minutes. Heat a flat heavy griddle or skillet (a cast iron skillet or crepe pan works well) over low to medium heat. Roll the first circle of dough out as thin as possible (to about an 8-9 inch diameter circle). Add about 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet. Place dough in hot skillet. Cook until bread puffs up and turns light brown on the skillet side. Slide bread to the each of the pan with your fingers, and quickly flip to brown the other side (about 1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and place roti in a colinder to cool. Cover roti with a damp towel while you cook the rest. Add more oil to the skillet as needed. Roti can be reheated just like tortillas: in a low oven, wrapped in foil, or in the microwave covered with a damp cloth. Brush roti with melted butter before serving, if desired. Makes 10 6-8 inch rotis