Tandoori Roti

Ingredients

• 2 cups atta (whole-wheat flour) (Plus extra for dusting; tandoori roti uses slightly stiffer dough than chapati)
• ⅔ cup paani (water) (Warm; less than chapati — stiffer dough sticks to the tandoor wall better)
• ½ tsp namak (salt)
• 2 tbsp ghee ya makhan (ghee or butter) (For brushing on the finished roti)

Instructions

1. MAKE THE DOUGH: Put the atta and salt in a paraat (wide mixing bowl). Add warm water gradually — start with ½ cup and mix with your fingers. Add more water slowly, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together. Knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth. HINT: Tandoori roti dough is noticeably stiffer and less sticky than chapati dough. WHY: This is deliberate — stiffer dough adheres to the vertical wall of the tandoor without sliding down. It also gives tandoori roti its characteristic chewy density rather than the lighter fluffiness of chapati. The dough should feel like firm play-dough — it should hold its shape when you press it rather than sagging. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
2. DIVIDE AND SHAPE: Divide the rested dough into 6 equal balls — slightly smaller than chapati balls since tandoori roti is rolled thicker. Smooth each ball between your palms until it has no cracks on the surface. FUN FACT: In a traditional tandoor setup, the baker would roll the roti on a cushion-like pad called a gaddi and slap it onto the inside wall in one practiced motion. It takes years to develop the speed and confidence to do this without dropping the roti into the fire below — which is why your neighbourhood tandoorchi earns every rupee.
3. ROLL THE ROTI: Dust a dough ball lightly in flour and place on your chakla (rolling board). Roll with the belan (rolling pin) to a circle about 16–18 cm across. Tandoori roti is noticeably thicker than chapati — aim for about 3–4 mm thick, roughly the thickness of a thick cardboard. It should not be see-through when held up to light. Rotate the dough a quarter turn after each roll to keep it round. HINT: This thickness is intentional — a too-thin roti will dry out quickly in the tandoor's intense heat rather than puffing and cooking through.
4. TRADITIONAL TANDOOR METHOD: If you have access to a tandoor: get it very hot (minimum 20–30 minutes of heating). Dip one side of the rolled roti lightly in water using your hand or a pastry brush — the wet side is the side that will stick to the wall. Press the roti firmly onto the inside wall of the tandoor with the wet side against the clay. It should stick immediately. After 2–3 minutes: charred spots will appear on the surface, and the roti will puff slightly. Reach in with chimta (long tongs) and remove it from the wall. The bottom should be blistered and charred in places. HINT: If the roti falls into the fire, use your chimta — this is a rite of passage, not a failure.
5. HOME OVEN METHOD (very effective): Place a cast-iron tawa (griddle pan) or heavy-based oven-safe pan on the top rack of your oven. Turn the oven to its maximum temperature (250°C / 480°F) and switch on the grill/broiler function. Allow the oven and pan to heat for at least 15 minutes — the pan must be scorching hot. WHY: A cold pan placed in a hot oven will not give you the immediate surface sear that creates tandoori roti's charred spots. The pan pre-heating is what makes this method work.
6. BAKE THE ROTI: Carefully remove the hot cast-iron pan from the oven using thick oven mitts — it is extremely hot. Lay the rolled roti onto the pan surface. It will sizzle dramatically on contact. Slide the pan back onto the top rack under the broiler/grill. Bake for 3–4 minutes, watching through the oven window. The roti should puff, develop charred spots on the visible surface, and look dry on the edges. HINT: Every oven is slightly different — check at 3 minutes. The roti should look blistered and charred in places, not pale. If it looks pale after 3 minutes, leave it for another minute. Flip using tongs if you want charring on both sides (optional — the bottom against the hot pan will be blistered from direct contact).
7. BRUSH WITH GHEE AND SERVE: Remove the roti from the oven. Using a pastry brush or simply by smearing with the back of a spoon, brush a generous layer of ghee or butter over the hot surface. The ghee should melt immediately and soak slightly into the bread. FUN FACT: This ghee brushing is what makes tandoori roti irresistible — the smoky char flavour of the bread combines with the rich, milky fat of the ghee to create something genuinely extraordinary. Serve immediately — tandoori roti is at its best the moment it comes off the heat.