A soft, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth South African roti made with just 5 ingredients. Perfect for scooping up your favourite curry or enjoying with butter and a cup of tea.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Black iron Tawa/Thava pan (an ordinary frying pan will also work)
- Measuring cups
- sifter
Ingredients
- 5 cups (1250ml) cake wheat flour
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 200 g margarine (4 tbsp for the dough mixture and the rest for cooking the roti)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil sunflower
- 3 1/2 cups (875ml) boiling water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cake wheat flour and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of melted margarine and the oil and mix through. Gradually pour in the boiling water, mixing as you go, until a soft dough comes together. You may not need all the water. Add just enough until the dough feels soft and pliable but not sticky.
- Knead for a few minutes until smooth, then cover with a clean cloth and leave to rest for at least 15–20 minutes. Don’t rush this part. Resting is what makes the dough easy to roll and the roti soft when cooked.
- Divide the dough into equal portions, roughly the size of a golf ball.
- First, coat each ball of dough in a bowl of flour. Then, on a lightly floured surface, flatten each piece with your hand and roll each one out into a thin, even circle. Keep the portions you’re not working with covered with a cloth so they don’t dry out.
- Heat a flat pan or tawa over medium-high heat. Place a rolled roti onto the dry pan and cook for about 30–40 seconds until bubbles start forming on the surface. A puffed roti is actually a good sign that your dough and heat are spot on. Spread melted margarine on both sides of the roti. You’re looking for soft, golden spots on both sides before removing from the pan or tawa.
- Stack the cooked rotis in a container and cover with a clean cloth as you go. The steam that builds up between them is what keeps them soft and warm while you finish the rest. Don’t leave them uncovered or they’ll dry out quickly.
Notes
- Rest the dough — this is non-negotiable. Resting for at least 15–20 minutes relaxes the gluten and is the difference between a roti that rolls out easily.
- Use boiling water, not warm or cold. Boiling water is what gives this roti its soft texture. Cold water will give you a tougher roti.
- Don't overwork the dough. Knead just until smooth. Over-kneading develops too much gluten and makes the roti tough.
- Roll thin and even. The thinner you roll, the softer the roti. Thick roti cooks unevenly and can turn out doughy in the middle.
- Your pan must be hot enough. A pan that isn't hot enough will dry the roti out before it cooks properly. Medium-high heat is what you want - the roti should start bubbling within seconds of hitting the pan.
- Cover your rotis as you cook. Stack them immediately and cover with a clean cloth. The steam trapped between them keeps them soft. This step is just as important as the cooking itself.
- Be generous with the margarine. Adding the margarine while cooking is what gives the roti its buttery flavour and soft finish.
- Keep the dough balls covered while you work. Roll and cook one at a time, keeping the remaining dough balls covered with a cloth so they don't dry out.
- If your roti is puffing up on the pan, that's a good sign. It means the dough is right and the heat is correct. Press it gently with a spatula to encourage it to puff evenly.