3 ingredients are all you need to make this soft vegan roti! Made with atta flour, they are wholesome, filling, and incredibly versatile. This Indian flatbread goes perfectly with curries and dal.
After learning to make my own vegan roti, there is no going back to the store-bought ones! They taste so much better and fresher and are cost-effective too. I usually batch-make then freeze them on the weekends, so I will have chapati ready to go on busy workdays!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and easy to make - Making chapati is actually not complicated at all! All you have to do is make the dough, roll it out and cook it.
- Healthy and nutritious - Atta flour, the Indian version of whole wheat flour, is used to make these Indian flatbread. Hence, they are packed with fibre and nutrients! They are also incredibly filling and satisfying too.
- Incredibly versatile - This vegan roti pairs beautifully with any curries or dals. Although inauthentic, you could also use them as a wrap or tortilla!
- Freeze beautifully - Make a large batch so you will have flatbreads ready to go whenever you are craving them!
🤔What is roti
Roti, also known as chapati, is one of the simplest kinds of Indian flatbread. It is usually made from atta flour (Indian whole wheat flour), water, and salt. Ghee or clarified butter is also smeared on cooked roti in some versions.
This flatbread is usually served with curries, dal, and other Indian dishes, much like how the Westerners do bread with soup.
To keep this roti vegan, we will be skipping the ghee. However, you can opt to slather on a thin layer of vegan butter instead!
🌾What you will need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Atta flour - also known as chapati flour. It is the Indian version of whole wheat flour, and is lighter in color when compared to regular ones due to the different variety of wheat used.
- You can get it in most well-stocked supermarkets, or in Asian/Indian groceries. I usually get my atta online through Amazon.
- If you really can't find it, substitute it with ½ portion all-purpose flour or unbleached flour, and the other ½ portion with fine wholemeal flour.
🔪How to make
Making the dough
Mix atta and salt in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add in water, mixing it with a spatula or your hands as you go, until a dough forms.
Knead the dough for a few minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 25-30 minutes.
When the time is up, give your dough a few kneads, then divide it into 8 equal portions.
Rolling roti
Roll one portion of the dough until smooth ball forms. Using the palm of your hand, flatten it out slightly.
Dust your work surface and rolling pin with some atta flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
Place dough on the surface. Start by rolling it gently lengthwise until an oval shape forms. Turn it 90 degrees and do the same. A circle will form. Repeat this until your chapati dough is 5-6 inches in diameter.
Repeat for the remaining dough.
Cooking roti
Heat a cast-iron pan/non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place in vegan roti once the pan is heated and cook for 30 seconds. Flip, cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, or until brown spots appear.
Flip again to the other side. At this point, it should start to puff up. If not, you can encourage roti to puff by gently pressing on it using a spatula. Similarly, cook until brown spots start appearing.
Repeat for the remaining dough, serve, and enjoy vegan chapati while hot!
✔Helpful tips
- Your dough should be smooth, elastic, and pliable without sticking to your hands. Add more water if chapati dough is dry and firm, and more flour if it is too wet. I recommend adding flour or water in 1 teaspoon increments until desired texture is achieved.
- Do not worry if your roti is not a perfect circle. It will not affect the end result, and they will still taste amazing regardless.
- Make sure your pan is hot enough before adding in your vegan roti. Or not, it might not puff up and cook properly.
- To test the hotness of your pan, pour in a tiny amount of water. If the water starts sizzling immediately, your pan is ready to be used!
- If you are not eating them immediately after cooking, cover them with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. Alternatively, you can brush on a thin layer of vegan butter right after cooking your flatbreads.
🍲How to serve
- With curries and dal - The classic (and best!) way to serve your vegan chapati is with Indian lentil stew like this yellow lentil dal, or curries like Chinese vegetable curry, sweet potato chickpea curry, or dry soya chunks masala.
- As a tortilla or wrap - You can also use it as a vessel for refried beans, tempeh taco meat, vegan doner meat, roasted veggies, or any other fillings you fancy.
- Sauces and condiments - Some indian condiments like tomato chutney or cilantro chuntey pairs particularly well with vegan roti. You could also serve it with your favorite curry sauce.
- Or, just simply have them on them own as a snack! You could also pair flatbreads with unconventional dippings like paprika hummus, or vegan ricotta.
❄Storing instructions
Whether you decide to refrigerate or freeze them, do ensure that vegan roti cool down completely before storing. This will prevent them from turning soggy.
Refrigerating - Wrap your flatbreads in foil, then place them in an airtight container or zip-top bag. They can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Freezing - They freeze beautifully, too. Transfer them to a container or zip-top bag, placing parchment paper between each roti to prevent them from sticking together. They will stay well in the freezer for 3 months.
Reheating - For frozen flatbreads, let them thaw slightly, either by transferring them to the fridge the night before or on the countertop for 30 minutes or so.
Sprinkle on a tiny amount of water. You can then heat them on the stove or microwave for about 30-60 seconds.
❔Commonly asked questions
There are quite a few factors that will prevent your roti from puffing up while cooking. First of all, your pan might not be hot enough. Or, you could have rolled your roti too thin or unevenly. If your dough is too dry, it might not puff up.
Making the perfect chapati requires some practice and experimentation, but the process will be much simpler and more manageable after you get the hang of it!
If you can't find atta, you can substitute it with ½ portion all-purpose or unbleached white flour and ½ portion wholemeal flour. I highly recommend using fine wholemeal flour, if possible.
You can also substitute atta entirely with wholemeal flour.
If your vegan roti turns out dry, you might have cooked them for too long. Your dought might also be too dry and tight to start with. Make sure that the flatbread dough is soft and pliable.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Roti (Chapati)
Ingredients
- 2 cups atta flour (Indian whole wheat flour)*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾-1 cup water
Instructions
Making the dough
- Mix together atta and salt in a large mixing bowl.2 cups atta flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Gradually add in water, mixing it with a spatula or your hands as you go, until a dough forms. If your dough is dry, add more water, a teaspoon at a time. The reverse is also true, so do add more flour it is sticky and wet!¾-1 cup water
- Knead dough for a few minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 25-30 minutes.
- When the time is up, give your dough a few kneads, then divide it into 8 equal portions.
Rolling roti
- Roll one portion of the dough until a smooth ball forms. Using the palm of your hand, flatten it out slightly.
- Dust your work surface and rolling pin with some atta flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Place dough on the surface. Start by rolling it gently lengthwise until a oval shape forms. Turn it 90 degrees and do the same. A circle will form. Repeat this until your chapati dough is 5-6 inches in diameter.
- Repeat for the remaining dough.
Cooking roti
- Heat up a cast-iron pan/non-stick pan over medium high heat. Once pan is heated, place in vegan roti and cook for 30 seconds. Flip, then cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, or until brown spots start appearing.
- Flip again to the other side. At this point, it should start to puff up. If not, you can encourage roti to puff by gently pressing on it using a spatula. Similarly, cook until brown spot starts appearing.
- Repeat for the remaining dough, serve, and enjoy vegan chapati while hot!
Notes
- Atta flour - also known as chapati flour. It is the Indian version of whole wheat flour and is lighter in color when compared to regular ones due to the different varieties of wheat used.
- You can get it in most well-stocked supermarkets, or in Asian/Indian groceries. I usually get my atta online through Amazon.
- If you really can't find it, substitute it with ½ portion all-purpose flour or unbleached flour, and the other ½ portion with fine wholemeal flour.
- Your dough should be smooth, elastic, and pliable without sticking to your hands. Add more water if chapati dough is dry and firm, and more flour if it is too wet. I recommend adding flour or water in 1 teaspoon increments until desired texture is achieved.
- Do not worry if your roti is not a perfect circle. It will not affect the end result, and they will still taste amazing regardless.
- Make sure your pan is hot enough before adding in your vegan roti. Or not, it might not puff up and cook properly.
- To test the hotness of your pan, pour in a tiny amount of water. If the water starts sizzling immediately, your pan is ready to be used!
- If you are not eating them immediately after cooking, cover them with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. Alternatively, you can brush on a thin layer of vegan butter right after cooking your flatbreads.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Shellie
Making these today to have with dal. Instead of rolling them out would a tortilla press work okay?
Meesha
Sorry for the late reply, but I do think it will work.😁
Donna
I am wondering if using whole wheat flour is a better substitute than a combination of white/wheat. I didn't know what Atta flour was and looked it up. It appears to be superior to whole wheat as it contains the germ and bran. Why would you not use Western whole wheat alone as a substitute instead of adding white flour?
Here;s what I found online: The main difference between atta and wheat flour is that atta flour contains a higher fibre content than regular wheat flour. Atta flour is processed by grinding the whole wheat kernel, while regular wheat flour is often obtained by grinding the wheat kernel after extracting out its bran and germ
Meesha
I would highly recommend sticking with atta if you can get it. As atta is much lighter and fine than regular whole wheat flour, I advise adding some all purpose flour to balance out the denser whole wheat flour. You can choose to substitute with only whole wheat flour, but the texture of your roti might change slightly. Hope this helps!