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    Home » BREAD

    Easy 4-Ingredient Rotis | Simple Indian Flatbreads

    Published: November 30, 2020 · Updated: October 27, 2021 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Our Easy Indian Flatbreads recipe is very quick and simple to make, using just four ingredients. Absolutely delicious served with your favourite curry or dahl, when you don’t have time to make a Naan Bread, but also useful used as simple wraps for your fajitas or lunch wraps. Mix flour, baking powder, water and oil and you have yourself a lovely flatbread to enjoy with a variety of meals!

    We had always made naan bread (or sourdough naan) to go with various Indian-inspired meals until we tried rotis. Rotis (a.k.a. chapatis) are traditional Indian Flatbreads that are made without any yeast. No yeast means no waiting. It doesn’t have to prove, so you can mix and cook it right away. However, resting the dough for a short period of time goes a long way. You can use wholemeal flour, add garlic powder or herbs, but here we’re sharing the simplest recipe for rotis you’ll ever find.

    Not only do we serve these with dahls and curries, but we also use these every time we make fajitas (hope Mexicans won’t take offence) or make any lunch wraps.


    With so few ingredients and not much work, I am always impressed at how tasty they turn out. Mixing self-raising flour, some salt, oil, and water produces something of amazing flavour and texture – an Indian Roti. All ingredients mixed together will produce a firm dough. I knead the dough for 5 minutes and pop it in a bowl. Cover with a tea towel (or clingfilm) and leave for 20 minutes to an hour to rest. Whilst you can get away without resting the dough, it certainly helps the texture of the cooked rotis. As the dough rests, gluten develops making these Indian flatbreads more elastic, easier to roll out and very soft when cooked.

    Once rested, divide your dough into four equal pieces. Roll each of them into very thin circles (approx 15cm/6in). Make sure to dust the surface and your rolling pin with flour, although the dough shouldn’t be too sticky.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!

    If you make chapatis, tortilla wraps and other flatbreads on a regular basis, or make them in large batches, it may be worth investing in a Tortilla Press! It’s an excellent piece of kit to have in your kitchen!

    Heat a large frying pan on high heat and brush it with a bit of oil. I normally use a pastry brush to make sure it’s a very thin layer. Once hot, pop your rolled-out roti and fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then flip and fry for another 30 seconds. In summary, the cooking time depends on how you want to use your rotis.

    If you want them crispy, fry for longer. If you want to use them for wraps (so they are soft, flexible and bendy), you only need to get them just cooked. Should you, by accident, overcook them and they are getting brittle and break as you try to roll them, spray them with a little water and pop in a microwave for 10 seconds. They will soften and be flexible again.

    Indian Flatbreads

    Check out the Indian Style Fajitas that we love using these Rotis for. We also love serving them with our other Indian inspired meals:

    • Curried Carrot and Lentil Soup
    • Autumnal Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Dahl
    • Mushroom Dahl with Coriander Relish
    Indian Flatbreads

    Easy 4-Ingredient Rotis (aka Chapatis)

    Our Easy Indian Flatbreads recipe is very quick and simple to make, using just four ingredients. Absolutely delicious served with your favourite curry or dahl, when you don't have time to make a Naan Bread, but also useful used as simple wraps for your fajitas or lunch wraps. Mix flour, baking powder, water and oil and you have yourself a lovely flatbread to enjoy with a variety of meals!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 7 mins
    Cook Time 8 mins
    Resting Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4 rotis

    Ingredients
      

    • 100 g self-raising flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 50 ml water

    Instructions
     

    • Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Using your hands bring together into a rough dough. Then knead onto a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and cohesive. This should only take 4-5 minutes.
    • Wrap a ball of dough in clingfilm and set aside for 20 minutes to rest.
    • After 20 minutes, divide the dough in four. One by one, roll the dough pieces into thin circles (approx. 15cm).
    • Preheat a large frying pan and lightly brush with oil. Place the first roti in the pan and cook on medium-high heat for 30 seconds to a 1 minute until blisters start forming on the top. Then flip it over and cook for further 30 seconds. Repeat with the rest of the rotis.
    • If you want your rotis soft (to use for wraps), cook them for a short period of time. If they crisp up, spray them with a little water, and microwave for 10-20 seconds.
    Keyword Easy Chapatis, Easy Flatbreads, Easy Rotis, Flatbreads, Indian Flatbreads
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Indian Flatbreads

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Heidy

      February 24, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe came out beautifully. So soft, warm, and delicious. I had no idea these were so easy to make! I also loved there were only five ingredients!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        February 24, 2022 at 1:58 pm

        Thanks, Heidy! They are our go-to flatbreads when the cupboards and fridge are looking dire, and we have no patience to wait for yeasted bakes to prove! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Claudia Lamascolo

      February 26, 2022 at 8:27 pm

      5 stars
      This was so easy and I cant believe how perfect it came out, better than anything I ever bought! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        February 27, 2022 at 6:52 am

        Thanks! So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Tracy

      March 07, 2022 at 2:20 pm

      5 stars
      4 ingredients is just the kind of recipe I need! Such a great, easy recipe! Thanks so much for another great recipe!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 08, 2022 at 7:09 am

        Thanks, Tracy! We love how easy and quick it is to make! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Aimee Mars

      March 08, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      Okay, I’m sold on making these at home! I love that there’s no yeast and thus they’re quick to prepare. These are going to be a great side for just about any meal we make.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 09, 2022 at 7:18 am

        Aimee, these are definitely great when we’re short on time. And you’re right, they go with anything from soups, to stews to wrapping delicious fillings in!

        Reply
    5. Gloria

      March 20, 2022 at 7:17 am

      5 stars
      I love making bread. I have never tried making roti. I need to have some fun in the kitchen and try this recipe out.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 20, 2022 at 8:19 am

        Brilliant! Let me know how they turn out! Roti are by far the easiest flatbread you’ll ever make 🙂

        Reply
    6. Lea

      June 21, 2022 at 5:16 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is unbelievably easy and delicious. I tried this together with a long slow cooked Lamb Madras and I will NEVER EVERY buy store bought chapatis, wraps again. If a lazy unmotivated person like me, can do this in no time with superb results, anyone can. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Ieva

        June 21, 2022 at 5:42 am

        Oh, this is such a lovely comment! Thanks, Lea! 😍

        Reply
    7. Owen

      August 28, 2022 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      Followed the recipe but cheated as I only had pizza flour. So easy to make and delicious. I toasted the finished roti on a gas ring.

      Heaven on a plate

      Reply
      • Ieva

        August 29, 2022 at 11:03 am

        So glad you liked it! And thank you for taking the time to leave feedback 💗

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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