chappathi press

I got the tortilla maker at Bed bath and beyond.
It wasn't a hit with my family. Chappathis came out hard and I had to re cook them again on the tava.

 

The chapatis are hard in the press.

 

Chappathis made in tortilla maker need delicate balance of flour and water is what I've seen in my experience. Using less oil while making the dough helps. Also the dough should be somewhat sticky to touch (water proportion is higher). You definitely have to leave the flour to rest for at least 30 mins. Also most of the flour available in US are high in bran which makes the rotis tougher. So try to use milk, yogurt or mix a little bit of white flour to make it soft. It definitely is dependent on the brand of flour and its trial and error.

-L.

 

I purchased a roti maker and could never get the hang of making rotis with it :confused2:.
My family says the handmade ones are much softer..

 

These roti makers are nice & fun to watch when they demonstrate in television.When it comes to practicality,none of these works the same way & are total disastors.The one which i bought is just gathering dust for many years now.total waste of money.I wish i could sue the company only.

 

dear all,
i bought a tortila roti maker in India adaptable to US
and brought it here. Alas!!!! we are not getting soft chappatis at all. we tried in all the way. but failed.now it is there in the kitchen as ashow piece.
with love
pad.

 

See, nobody has given a positive opinion about these roti makers.None of the brand seems to be functional.That makes me wonder how the ad people seems to bring out such soft looking rotis in television for these.Must be some camera trick!!!bonk

 

My cousin first tried and then my sister and I also bought the roti maker (tortilla) within few weeks of each other... and it works.

My father in law who is 85 and no grinding teeth enjoys my rotis, parathas, pooran polis, bread toasts and even dosas I make on the tortilla roti maker.

Yes, I have always heard that roti makers reach the kitchen loft quite soon in most houses, even I was very very cynical about buying it... but now, if there are left over rotis, I am able to keep in the fridge and reheat in microwave and it still remains soft.

It is not the flour quality too, as I have added ragi, bajra, and manna health flour to the roti atta and it still comes out soft. I even add wheat bran separately (Bagry) to increase fibre content for my FIL. And it always comes out soft.

The secret lies in
1) mixing the dough properly - add more water, make a sticky dough and add 1/2 tbsp oil in the end to hold together.
2) making the lois properly - take a ball, roll it slightly in dry flour and press.
3) Position correctly - keep the flattened ball slightly to the top center
4) Press correctly - Join the handle and the lid at the top, and in one quick motion press and open immediately.
5) Heat correctly - the heating element should be set correctly - ask the demo guy to set it up correctly
6) Store correctly - immediately after roti is ready, remove to a box lined with tissues and close with lid - roti will remain soft.

Hope my experiences help.