Tandoori Roti

Tandoori Roti is a type of North Indian flat bread prepared in a clay oven. If you have ever been to an Indian restaurant, you must have noticed a separate column with the title ‘Tandoori dishes’. It will have several dishes (mostly appetizers) listed below it like Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Boti Kabab etc. However, it is fascinating to know that several other dishes are also prepared using the Tandoor. Curries like Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken and Breads like Naan and Tandoori Roti are also prepared in the Tandoor. It not only brings that charred look but also creates that smoky yummy flavor in the food.

Now you must be thinking, Yes, it will be good to prepare Tandoori Rotis at home but isn’t it rather a lot of work setting up a Tandoor oven?  Well for some food enthusiasts this may be an opportunity to learn something new along with the recipe, however, I would rather suggest to go for an easier alternative, which is the Grill. Now if you do not have a Grill, you can also prepare the Rotis on Stove Top and then use the Oven (Broiler mode) to get that charred look but personally, I find grilling easier and quicker. By using a Grill, we can prepare multiple Rotis at the same time, which is not possible on a stove top. Grilling also gives the Rotis a more earthen taste and both the charcoal and fuel grills work great for the charring of Rotis. If you can find someone to help you for grilling or rolling of Rotis then this process becomes all the more convenient, like in our case, I roll the Tandoori Rotis and Debarshi grills them. 

The first time I prepared Tandoori Rotis was almost a spur-of-the-moment decision. We were planning to grill some Kababs for dinner and also had some leftover Mutton Curry so the only thing left to decide was the type of bread we will be having and Debarshi said, “You know what will go great with this? Tandoori Roti!” and I immediately looked online and found this recipe. What I liked about this recipe was the fact that this uses the regular pantry ingredients like Whole Wheat Flour, Yogurt, Baking Soda etc. (which meant no need to go for shopping right before dinner) so I quickly kneaded some dough and later rolled them out for grilling. I must confess when trying a new recipe, I feel a little anxious on how it will turn out but this one was a hit and I have been preparing them on demand ever since.

Tandoori Rotis are ideal for weekend dinners and get together parties. They are prepared with Whole Wheat Flour which makes it easier to roll and handle. It is also considered more nutritious than Naan which is prepared entirely with All Purpose Flour and hence can be consumed more frequently. Tandoori Rotis go very well with Curries, Lentils and Stir Fries. I usually prepare it with Butter Chicken or Mughlai Kabab which in my opinion are the ideal combinations with these yummy Rotis. Needless to say I have never bought any frozen or pre cooked Tandoori Rotis because preparing them at home is really easy. I always use my stand mixer to knead the dough and then leave it aside while I prepare the curry. We grill them right before dinner and serve them hot with a generous amount of butter sprayed on them.

This Roti is perfect for kids as well. Since they are lightly salted, kids love them with a dollop of butter. The Whole Wheat Flour is easy on the tummies as well.

So, enjoy the hot charred Rotis with your favorite curry. Keep the leftovers (if any) in the fridge or freeze them in a ziplock bag for later.

(Photo taken at a game viewing party at our home. Features from right: Rajma, Tandoori Roti, Pulao, Coconut Lamb curry and Tandoori Chicken)

Ingredients:

• Whole-Wheat Flour - 1 cup 
• All Purpose Flour – ¼ cup 
• Baking Soda – ¼ teaspoon 
• Salt – ½ teaspoon 
• Sugar – ¼ teaspoon 
• Oil - 1 ½ tablespoon 
• Yogurt – ¼ cup (preferably Plain Whole Milk)
• Water - about ¼ cup or as needed

Others:

• All Purpose Flour – about ½ cup for rolling
• Butter Spray 
• Grilling Tong

Directions: Kneading the Dough by Hand

• Wash your hands, you will be using them a lot.
• In a large bowl mix the Whole-Wheat Flour, All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Sugar, and Salt together. Mix using either your fingers or a whisk.
• Now add the Oil and Yogurt. Mix with your fingers until you get a sandy texture.
• Add water, a little at a time, and knead into a dough. You may need a few extra tablespoons of water if the dough feels tough. It should be soft and slightly sticky. Keep kneading it for another minute.
• When the dough feels smooth, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Yields restaurant quality Rotis when left for 3 hours.

Directions: Kneading the Dough using a Stand Mixer

• Attach the Bowl and Hook to your Stand Mixer and connect it.
• Add the Whole-Wheat Flour, All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Sugar, and Salt in the bowl.
• Give them a whir on the lowest speed until its all well blended.
• Add the Oil and Yogurt and give it a whir again for a minute or two.
• Now we start the kneading, start the mixer on lowest speed and slowly start adding ¼ cup of water in the flour. I give it time to knead and form the dough. If the sides are sticking with the bowl too much I switch off the mixer and clean the sides using a spatula.
• I keep it running until the dough begins to come together adding a teaspoon of water at a time. 
• At this stage it will look dry, but make sure not to add too much water at this stage. Keep running the mixer.
• Now sometimes the dough turns out a bit stickier, I usually add a little flour and a tablespoon of oil and keep it kneading until its smooth and almost non sticky.
• Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Yields restaurant quality Rotis when left for 3 hours.

Directions: How to roll the Tandoori Rotis

• Once the dough has rested, re-knead the dough for a few seconds. Then divide the dough into four equal parts.
• Now these 4 pieces will make 4 Rotis. Take a piece of dough between your palms and roll it into a ball. Press the ball between your palms lightly to flatten it a little like a disc. Put all the other balls of dough back in the bowl and cover it. This will prevent the dough from drying out.
• Now let’s make the Roti, dip that disc of dough lightly into the All Purpose Flour. This will give it a smoother texture. Place the disc on the rolling board and start rolling it. 
• I usually spread a little flour whenever the dough starts to stick on the board and roll it into an oval shape with even thickness on all sides. It should be of medium size (or of the size of your palm). A little unevenness in shape is ok.
• Now transfer the rolled Roti on a greased surface like a chopping board or a big plate and cover it. Roll the other Rotis. We are now ready to grill the Rotis.

Directions: How to Grill the Rotis

• Make sure to use a clean grill and keep an oven safe dish nearby to transfer the prepared Rotis.
• Preheat the Grill on high heat.
• Arrange the Rotis on the Grill. Leave some space between them and do not overlap the Rotis. 
• Cook for 5 minutes, once you see light golden spots or reddish-brown spots appearing on the Rotis, it's time to turn them. Spray them with Butter and turn sides.
• You may want to cover and cook the Rotis for some time. The batch should be ready in 10- 12 minutes, depending on the Grill. Spray them with Butter and continue to cook till they have brownish red chars on them. Keep an eye on the Grill so as not to burn them.
• Serve the Rotis hot with Butter Chicken, Achari Mutton or Mughlai Kabab.

Tips:

• When kneading the dough, keep it soft enough to roll but it should not be too soft to handle. Do not knead a tight dough, (this happens when we add too little water) it should have just enough gluten. Too much gluten will make the Rotis tough. Whole-wheat flour is very high in gluten-forming protein, so as long as we are kneading it properly, gluten should form. 
• Remember gluten formation enables elasticity which makes it easier to roll and yield soft Rotis. To form the gluten, we need to knead till the dough is smooth and stops sticking. The dough should stretch and not tear apart. You can also try to stretch it in a thin translucent film without any tearing. It is this property which helps us to roll the dough into Rotis, Puris and Parathas. 
• For proper gluten formation, the steps given above should be followed accordingly. Blending the dry ingredients clears any lumps thus allowing water to mix freely. By adding the water slowly, we are activating the gluten. At this stage the dough will look sticky. If the dough is dry, then we need to add just a little more water to hydrate and develop the gluten properly. Then comes the stage of kneading when we keep moving the dough continuously so that the gluten can develop completely.
• I usually knead the dough first and then start the gravy or curries preparation. That lets the dough to rest for a long time. The result is soft restaurant quality Tandoori Rotis.
• Do not add a lot of water at a time while kneading the dough, it will get sticky and unmanageable and you will have to add more flour thus changing the proportion of ingredients.
• The flour I use absorbs more water so in case your dough is sticky after following these instructions, just add a little more flour to the dough and keep kneading until its smooth and almost non sticky.
• If I am using the Stand Mixer to knead the dough, I always follow a 2:1 ratio that means if I am adding two cups of flour, then I will add one cup of water. However, in this case we are also adding Yogurt so the amount of water will be even less.
• At a beginner level multitasking while Grilling the Rotis may be overwhelming. The Rotis may burn while you are rolling the next batch so I think it's best to have someone assisting you on the grill. I usually roll out all the Rotis one by one while Debarshi is preheating the grill. Then he grills the Rotis while I set the dinner table.
• Tandoori Rotis are thicker than Rotis or Parathas. So shape them thick and small, a Roti should cover the palm of your hand (medium sized) but should not be bigger than that.
• When grilling the Rotis, it is important to avoid any overlap. Remember the dough will stick together if you place one Roti on top of another. 
• This recipe will yield 4 Rotis. In case you want more than 4 Rotis remember to write down the new proportions before you start mixing all the ingredients.
• Do not overcrowd the Grill. Consider grilling a few Rotis at a time in batches.
• Use a Grilling tong to turn the Roti.

 

Recommend reading: 

• Butter Chicken (Indian Recipe: Chicken pieces in a creamy buttery gravy)
• Achari Mutton
• Mughlai Kabab
• Tandoori Chicken
• One Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
• Debarshi’s Alu ka Paratha (Fried Bread stuffed with Potatoes)
• Indian Salad
• Palak Paneer (Fresh Cheese in Spinach gravy)
• Chicken Masala
• Dhaba Wala Saag Chicken (Chicken in Spinach Curry Rustic Indian Style)
• Butter Paneer (Indian Recipe: Fresh Cheese in a creamy buttery gravy)
• Easy Homemade Naan
• Dahi Chicken (Seared Chicken in Yogurt Gravy)
• Alu Kulcha (Indian Flat Bread with Potato Filling)
• Grilled Tandoori Shrimp
• Murgh Malai Tikka (Grilled Creamy Tender Chicken)
• Mamma’s Matar Paneer (Peas and Indian Cottage Cheese in a tomato gravy)
• Shahi Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese in a creamy gravy)
• Mixed Dal with Cilantro (Arhar-Masoor Dal with Dhania garnish)
• Dal Makhani (Creamy Urad Dal/ Black Lentils with Rajma/ Kidney Beans)
• Egg Curry (Bengali recipe: Fried Eggs curry)
• Kashmiri Rogan Josh (Slow cooked mutton in red curry)

Weekend Brunch Photo, taken at - The Egg and I. It’s a breakfast place in our city (Montgomery, AL) with specialty omelets, sandwiches etc. 

I had a Classic Club Sandwich and Debarshi had a Mexican Omelet. My Sandwich had butter toasted breads and tasted delicious. Debarshi’s Omelet had a filling of Salsa and Monterey Jack Cheese and he said it tasted awesome. It’s a small cute restaurant perfect for brunch.