Hey frnds, i lov cooking and my DH is really found of rotis which is very soft always. My ques is about roti dough and how to keep roti soft always. Usually i knead my dough in night and keep it in fridge ,for breakfast and lunch .so that i can take out the dough and rotis can b made within no time.but wht happns is rotis get little hard . plz tell how the right procedure for kneading the dough ,i put some oil also while kneading but it also donot help to make roti very soft . and usually when i pack lunch to my DH rotis become tight,which he dont like:thumbsdown,he lov my veggies :thumbsup but rotis r not always upto his mark i.e thy r nt soft,this happens with parathas also. i dont want to use roti maker so plz tell whts the trick behind smooth and hours long soft roti and parathas .is there som special thing i need to keep in mind while kneading the dough.? thanx Pari
Which atta are you using? It depends on that too. Im using ashirwad multigrain atta. It is very soft and rotis come out good. Do not buy any multigrain atta with ragi in it. Ragi will make the rotis hard. I do not put oil while kneading the atta but after the kneading is done i put 1 or 2 tsp oil, knead for a while and keep it closed to ferment for atleast 20mins. Also do not keep the dough in the fridge before it ferments. After kneading leave it outside for 30mins (or more if it is meant for next day) and then put it in the fridge. Also get the dough to room temp before making rotis for that day. I give rotis to my kids to school. I wrap it is tissue paper to absorb moisture. They say it says soft. Try this and let me know.Hope this helps.
hey Pman thanx dear ,i will try tht surely while kneading.i also buy ashirwad atta which is available here in indian stores,but yeah i think i will put oil aftr kneading ,nd will keep in fridge aftr hlf an hr atleast ,i think tht may help. and will let u know da difference TC Pari
tell me one more thing for how long to knead the dough atleast to get da right consistency,may b time for kneading matters right .
I knead it for 2 mins hardly or sometimes do not knead at all. I definitely knead it after it ferments i.e. before making the rotis, for atleast 3 mins. With two school going kids, i do not have much time for doing anything in detail. Also, im making phulkas recently and it turns out very soft. If you have an atta kneader it is very good. It saves the time and energy for kneading. With wet grinder i got my atta kneader attachment but i rarely use it. You also can knead dough in a food processor. With time and experience, you will get it right. Do not worry.
This is how i do: Take a wide steel besan or a parat and add a cup of whole wheat flour, add little salt, few drops of oil, 1/2 cup of warm water or warm milk and mix well.Punch it and knead well.Cover it with a lid & set aside for a minimum of 1/2 hour or more.If I plan to make chapathi for tonight, then I knead the dough in the morning and keep it to rest.Later I knead again, divide into equal portions and roll each ball between my palms till there are no cracks and each ball is smooth.Then I roll the roties using a rolling pin and atta. For the frying part: heat the tawa,heat it super hot in a way that it smokes.Place a roti, let it roast on one side a bit, flip and then smear little oil on top,flip again add little oil and keep fliping quickly.Remove and store in an air tight container or serve hot.Roasting roties on a high flame keeps them soft.If you roast on a slow flame for a long time, then tend to become hard.If you serving them later make sure that you sure them in a closed container or else they may turn hard. Hope this helps.
Few more ideas: Knead it for lil more time the more you knead the softer they get Add some milk to dough. This keeps rotis softer and fresh for longer. My aunt used to make full milk rotis for our trips and they used to be good for 3-4 days. Apply a layer of oil after finishing the dough and cover it with soft cotton cloth Maharashtrian style of making chapati's (i don't know if its followed in other parts) we roll it a lil then apply some oil, add pinch of atta then fold it twice to make triange and then roll fully to make round roti or chapati. Come out real soft and multilayered After frying immediately put them in container and cover Also the lighter you roll, softer and layered rotis are made Happy cooking
hi pman16, i tried to follow the way u told and yes i really got sfot rotis ,i think my mistake was that i use to keep the dough in fridge just after kneading ,which didnt gav it time to ferment properly. but now i understood tht i need to keep in fridge aftr atleast half an hr ,so now rotis r really gud hi Kveena ,meVaidehi, thanx alot frnds for your idea of kneading with milk or warm water,thts sounds really nice will definitely try tht too .
Tips for making softer chapatis 1.The good old chakki grinding is the best to grind atta.Always select a branded atta that has been chakki ground and the one which is whole wheat. 2.Add water little by little to knead till the surface becomes smooth .The more water the atta drinks,softer the rotis.You can also add oil to improve kneading. 3.After kneading let the dough stand for 30 minutes.This helps the dough to relax and helps in easier rolling. 4.Consume rotis hot.If you wish to store the rotis in a casserole wrap it in a thin muslin cloth.