Soft translucent almost ethereal…melt in the mouth Roomali Roti, here now, gone in a moment! They have been playing hide n seek with me for almost a decade now!
However thanks to my friend Priyanka Sushant Varma, and her inspired tips, I finally cracked them! When the quest is so difficult, the journey so long and the victory so complete….all I’d like to say, Thank You Priyanka!
Method:
Make a soft pliable rough dough using atta and warm water. Cover and rest the dough for 5 minutes.
Now add a few drops of olive oil and knead.
Cover & leave aside for another 5 minutes and then re-knead for 2 more times, resting the dough for 5 min each time.
Yes it’s a little time consuming….but very important for the final result!
Next take a lemon size piece of dough and divide into 4 parts. You will use 2 of these parts together at one time.
Now take one part and roll out into a really thin translucent roti using maida as parottan.
The roti should resembles a piece of cloth (Roomal) keep aside.
Now roll out another part in the same way.
Brush with oil, sprinkle lightly with rice flour.
Place the first roti on top.
Press down and roll out again to almost cover the entire chakla.
Now, cook this roti on a very hot Tawa/nonstick for 10 seconds each side.
Lift off, carefully peel open to separate the two rotis that were earlier stuck together.
Fold and keep within moist paper towels in a casserole!
Serve warm with your fav entrees…we enjoyed them with palak paneer and baingan ka bharta
PS: Once you separate the rotis they must be so thin and translucent that when you place them on printed paper, you should be able to read through them! At first it might be difficult, but with time I’m sure you’ll get there…just like I did! 🙂
Lovely stuff. I have already made these rotis a few days ago, following Priyaka’s recipe…but there are some fabulous tips in your recipe right here. Thank you for sharing and for the wonderful presentation.
Thank you 🙂
Loved it… gonna try asap… dying to eat with paneer pasanda n onion salad… keep posting… 🙂
What a beautiful explanation and it is indeed a nightmare to get it perfect. I am going to try this 🙂
Ruchi which brand of Atta do ou use?
Hi Ruchi,
Priyanka’s recipe asked for both whole wheat flour and maida. Did you use both flours or just the whole wheat flour?
Thank you.
I used only whole wheat flour. However I used maida for parottan, ie… for dusting the dough while rolling out the rotis!
Donna, I use Sujata or Swarna
Hey Ruchi, stopping by from Epicurean Delights. Your roti looks so perfect and the process seems pretty easy. I never gave it a try thinking its hard. But looking at the pictures it’s very clear, thanks for step-by-step procedure. Will surely try it out very soon.
Thank you Alpana 🙂
You made 4 parts but used only 2 parts rite?
Yes…two parts at ones time
Thanks for sharing your secret…however I think the crux question lies in …what is the amount of the wheat flour and water used to make the original dough. Look forward to this tip as well to try it out. Thanks for this as well.
The amount of water cannot be really specified…as it depends on the brand of atta used and climatic conditions! However you want it to light and elastic…not dense. This you achieve by slowly incorporating more and more water, kneading the dough in between additions till you can add as much as you can without making the dough sticky to touch. This involves a little hard work on the kneading front…but totally worth the effort, in terms of the final result! 🙂
Hi Ruchi,
Thank you for posting the recipe and such concise and clear directions. I have been looking for a tried and true Roomali roti recipe for a while,Will try soon .
Monica
This is not the the authentic way to make ROOMALI roti…which is traditionally made by spreading dough using your hands and flinging it in the air! However this is a good way for the home cook to use!
Hi Ruchi
Is there any alternative that can be used for Rice flour?
Love your recipes 🙂
TIA
Shraddha
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Looks beautiful, we make this in Gujarat and call it lechi rotli or pad vali (meaning – with layers) rotli.
However my mom makes it so that she rolls out both pieces of dough just a little, apply oil and flour liberally, stick them together and then roll out just 1 stuck roti. It still separates out fine!
Keep cooking and posting recipes. I am a big fan of your twists!
fabulous technique to learn. Looking forward to trying this!
Ruchi do you add salt or ghee/oil while making the dough?
Interestingly, we Sindhis use this method to make our samosas pattis , never thought it work for rotis ?. Thx for sharing