Besan Roti

One of my favorite Indian creations are flatbreads. As I tend to eat at home and rarely order out or dine at restaurants, I decided it would be fun to make some homemade rotis. Once again, I had a sous chef to help me out in the kitchen and we enjoyed the meal with some friends. The dough was very easy to work with and the process was a bit time consuming, but worth the effort. I served these with a spicy mung bean dish and some buttered basmati rice.

Besan Roti

1 cup of besan (chickpea flour)
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup of unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of fenugreek powder
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
3 tablespoons of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
approximately 3/4 cup of warm water
butter or ghee for frying

In a large bowl, combine the flours, fenugreek powder, asafoetida, cayenne and salt. Rub 3 tablespoons of ghee or butter into the mixture. Stir in enough water until a firm dough is formed. Knead the dough on a floured surface for roughly 5 minutes until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 balls and on a floured surface, roll each piece out into a round measuring 7 - 8 inches.

Heat some butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, cook one roti at a time until nicely browned on both sides. Add more butter to the pan as needed and keep the rotis warm in the oven until you have cooked all 12.

More recipes with Chickpea flour from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Scrambled Chickpea Flour with a Fiery Red Chili Paste
Chickpea Flour Pancakes
Chickpea Flour Dumplings in a Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Chickpea Fritters with a Creamy Ricotta, Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Filling

On the top of the reading stack: Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours

Audio Accompaniment: Marsen Jules with visuals by Johannes Braun