Roomali Rotli (Handkerchief Bread)

Indian breads are a staple in Indian cuisine. They are eaten with most curries and lentil stews, and pretty much the way we pick up our food – it’s kind of our version of a “fork.” And there are so many type of Indian breads available too! A few common ones are wheat rotli, naan, puri, bhatura and even paratha.

But did you know there is a type of Indian bread that is paper thin, as a matter of fact, it is so light and transparent like a handkerchief. This type of bread is called “Roomali Rotli” and it is usually eaten with Tandoori items, or roasted meat/veggie dishes. If you’ve ever had a “kati roll,” then you may be familiar with this type of bread. It is a very light and very thin bread that is used as a wrap for your desired filling inside of it.

This type of bread is absolutely delicious eaten with a curry, tandoor item or simply alone with hot butter/ghee spread on it. It is much softer than most traditional Indian breads and cooks very quickly on high heat – mostly because of how thin it is.

Roomali Rotli is made with a mix of all-purpose flour, wheat flour and rice flour. The dough needs to rest a minimum of 4 hours before using because the glutens will break down to the point where it will be extremely easy to roll out. Once it’s put on the heat, you will get an extremely soft Indian bread cook. So, the more you let your dough rest, the better the result.

Check out my recipe for this delicious type of Indian bread. You definitely want to try this Indian bread!

ROOMALI ROTLI (Handkerchief Flatbread)

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup wheat flour
• ¼ cup rice flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. oil or ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 cup milk
• 1-2 tsp. oil for coating dough
• Extra ghee/butter for spreading on hot cooked rotlis

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, add all-purpose flour, wheat flour, rice flour and salt. Mix well till fully combined.
2. Add in ½ cup milk and begin to mix. Gradually add in remaining milk and knead until you get a sticky dough.
3. Add in oil/ghee and continue to knead for 5-7 minutes till the dough is smooth and not sticky anymore. Dough should be soft to touch.
4. Coat the dough with some extra oil and allow to rest for 4 hours. (The resting period ensures that you have a light and flaky rotli – not chewy.)
5. After dough has rested, knead dough again for 1-2 minutes to ensure it is not sticky.
6. Pinch off a golf-ball sized amount of dough, dust in some all-purpose flour and with a rolling pin on a clean surface, begin to roll out the dough as thin as possible – dusting with some dough during process to help dough from sticking on rolling area.
7. Heat a non-stick frying pan on high heat till hot – about 3 minutes.
8. Take the rolled out thin rotli and stretch out gently.
9. Stretch out the rotli till it becomes translucent before putting on hot pan. (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan through the cooking rotli.)
10. Cook until bubbles start to appear – about 30 seconds.  Flip over and press down with spatula to fully cook the rotli bread on all sides – 30 seconds.
11. Remove from heat, spread some ghee/butter on the rotli and quickly fold into a triangle shape and place on serving plate. Repeat Steps 7 to Step 11 with remaining dough till all roomali rotlis are completed.
12. Serve hot with your favorite Indian curry.

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Since the dough requires a resting period, I usually make the dough in the morning and let it sit at room temperature till I’m ready to make in the evening time. This type of Indian bread tastes better the longer the dough rests, so the minimum is 4 hours before prepping.

It’s truly a delicious type of bread to try making. Indian cuisine is full of varieties and different types of breads – this is a great new addition to save in your recipe books!

Let me know your thoughts on this recipe and when you make these roomali rotlis, tag me on IG at @cmspiceculture with your pics!

Enjoy!