Tandoori Style Roti - 3, Indian Bread Hand Rolled/Slapped On Wet Palms & Cooked on a 'Tava' or Griddle
Tandoor Roti 3, Pani Ke Hath Ki Roti
Sudha Kumar
This roti is very similar in taste and appearance to a tandoori roti, but it is in fact cooked on a tava griddle and then direct flame. It has its own, unique taste, hot and crisp, delicious! In my view, it tastes better than the tandoori roti and is so much easier to make.
This recipe comes from my sister in-laws young maid Sudha. She makes and serves the family hot and crisp roties, as they all sit down to a meal. This roti is similar to the Paani ke Haath ki Roti, which is made with wetted palms. Here, no water is used, only dusting flour, which makes it easier to handle than the water.
Makes approximately 8-10
Note August 2023: This recipe was written at least 20 years ago, if not longer. This young lady must be a mature woman now, with a family of her own and cooking delicious meals for them.
Ingredients
250 gm. whole wheat, chapatti flour (you can add 1/4th chickpea/besan flour)
Enough water to make a soft dough (firm dough can not be spread with hands)
Ghee, for smearing the surface of each chapatti
Instructions
Making the dough:
Place flour in a bowl and add enough water, a bit by bit,r to make a soft dough. It is impossible to make this type of roti with firm dough.
Knead well for a minute.
Leave to stand for 20-30 minutes or so and knead a little again to make it smooth.
Making the Roti:
Break dough into 10-15 portions, depending on the size and thickness of chapatties you prefer.
Heat an Indian griddle or tava to medium hot.
Pick one ball, roll it between palms to make it into a smooth ball, with the help of dusting flour, called (Palothan) in Hindi.
Dip the ball in a little water and flatten the ball by slapping it between the two palms backwards and forwards, until a desired size and thickness is reached. You have to rotate the spreading roti each time you slap it against the opposite palm, to ensure that it remains circular and has even thickness all over. You can add a few more drops of water on its surface, if it begins to stick. Flattening/shaping it on wetted palms 9inseadof rolling it out, is what it gives the roti it's name; Pani ke Hath Ki Roti.
Cooking:
Put the roti on the hot tava/griddle. The water on its surface will make it stick to the tava.
When you see a few blisters on the surface, lift the tava with the roti still stuck to it and turn it over the flame, with the roti making direct contact the flame. Move the tava around to ensure even cooking. See pictures.
Lift off the tava using tongs and finish off the cooking on direct flame.
Serve immediately, coated with a thin layer of butter or ghee, with dals, saags or any curry of choice.
