How to make round roti?

Making perfect round roti can be a unicorn for lot of us. When I initially started cooking my roti were shaped like different continents and they never puffed up.

No matter what I tried, it was like chasing a unicorn. Roti is an everyday staple food for my family and there was no way to give up on this chase. I can proudly claim that almost every roti of mine is now round and puffs up.

It took some technique and lot of practice but if results look like this, its well worth it.

Here are some methods using which you can make perfect round chapatis.

Technique to make round roti – For Beginners

When starting out don’t focus too much on the shape but on rolling the dough evenly. 

• Take some dough and make a lemon sized dough ball from it.
• Make sure the dough ball is even from all sides and there are no cracks or the dough should not stick to your fingers. If there are cracks or the dough is sticky then please fix it before going any further.
• Flatten the dough ball and dust it in dry flour so it does not stick to the surface when rolling.
• Place it on the center of your rolling surface and roll it really well and even from all the sides. 
• When rolling pay extra attention to evenness of the rolled dough and if the dough is thick anywhere then even it out by rolling.
• Take a plate or any other utensil with sharp edges and place it on top of evenly rolled dough. 
• Press the utensil on top of the dough and then remove the excess dough edges left on the sides.

This will give you even, round roti which puff up well every time.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Make sure you don’t puncture the roti while trying to cut the edges as it will stop the roti from puffing up.
• Use utensil with sharp edges for a clean cut, if the edges are not sharp the roti will not puff
• Roll the dough evenly and keep moving it with your hands to ensure all the areas get rolled the same thickness
• There should not be any folds in the dough when rolling it.

After you have rolled the dough evenly for a few weeks (2-3) and now feel comfortable with the rolling action you can try the next i.e. Intermediate approach.

Technique to make round roti – Intermediate Level

• Take the dough and make an even lemon sized dough ball from it. Make sure the dough is not cracking or sticky. If facing any of these issues please fix the dough the first by referencing this troubleshooting guide.
• Flatten the dough ball and dust it with dry flour so it does not stick to the surface when rolling.
• Place it on the center of your rolling surface and start rolling.
• When rolling make sure you roll the edges and then move the roti anti clockwise by hand to a 90 degree angle.
• Roll then move 90 degrees, again roll and then turn 90 degrees. This will ensure that the roti is evenly rolled from all the edges.

Do’s and Don’t-

• The dough ball that you start with should be very smooth and round. It should not have any uneven edges on it.
• Make sure you only move the roti in one direction only i.e. either clockwise or anti clockwise. 
• There should be no holes or folds in the flattened dough as that will stop the roti from puffing.
• Do not press too hard on the dough and roll with a very light hand.

Try this after 3-4 weeks of manually moving the roti while rolling it. By now you should have a hang of how thick the roti needs to be and how it needs to rotate when being rolled.

Technique to make round roti – For Experienced Cooks

• Take some dough and make a lemon sized dough ball from it.
• Make sure the dough ball is even from all sides and there are no cracks or the dough should not stick to your fingers. If there are cracks or the dough is sticky please refer to this troubleshooting guide on how to fix it before going any further.
• Flatten the dough ball and dust it in dry flour so it does not stick to the surface when rolling.
• Place the dough ball at the center of your rolling surface and then start rolling.
• When rolling put slightly more pressure on your dominant hand i.e. right in my case and less pressure on the left hand.
• Roll edges first and then the center to ensure all the edges are of even thickness.
• This uneven pressure as rolling the roti will cause the roti to rotate on its own as you are rolling it. This can be tricky and takes a while to perfect.

Dos and Don’ts

• Make sure the dough ball you start with is smooth and round and does not have any bumps or uneven edges on it.
• Do not apply pressure when rolling as this will stop the roti from moving on its own. 
• Make sure the dough is well dusted and is not sticking to the surface. You might have to dust it a couple of times while rolling. If not dusted well the roti will not rotate on its own.
• There should not be any holes or folds on the rolled dough.

How to make round roti without a rolling pin?

In all the methods listed above it is assumed that one has a rolling pin. In case you don’t have one then you can try these options:

Option 1 : Using a roti press

If you do not want to use a rolling pin then you can invest in a roti press like this one.

To make roti using a roti press-

• Make a lemon size dough ball which is smooth 
• Dust it with dry flour and flatten it with the palms of your hand
• Once dusted flatten the dough out with your hands as much as you can.
• Place the dough in between the roti press ends and press it
• Apply pressure well on the press ensuring the edges are pressed well too and not just the centre.
• You should get perfect round rotis from this.

Option 2: Using a wine or any other bottle

You would be able to roll your roti with a wine or other bottle but it will be very inconvenient and the roti might have uneven edges as well.

If you get the edges right then it will take a lot of time to even make one roti. But it can be done by using the bottle just like a rolling pin. 

This is more of a stop gap solution than a regular way of making rotis.

Making round chapatis takes practice and time. I wish there was a magic trick that I could share but there isn’t.

Following the tips shared in this post you should be able to make them in 3-4 weeks of practice.

Honestly, since the shape does not have much effect on the taste I wouldn’t worry too much as long as it tastes right. You can cut the chapatis in pieces and serve. This makes the not so appealing shapes less visible.

If you need tips on making soft chapatis, you can refer to this post.

What other problems do you face when trying to make a roti/chapati? Do let me know in the comments.

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