Tandoori Roti

If you’re looking for a simple and delicious Tandoori roti recipe, just like the ones you find in restaurants, you are in the right place. This recipe delivers a perfect balance of texture and flavor, resulting in Tandoori roti that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like the ones you enjoy in Indian restaurants.

What is Tandoori Roti?

In every Indian household, roti is a staple that holds a special place at the dining table. The soft, warm roti goes well with a variety of dishes, whether it's a rich curry or a comforting bowl of dal. Just like the Naan, Tandoori roti is also a favorite.

Tandoori roti is a delicious Indian flatbread usually cooked in a tandoor, a traditional clay oven that reaches high temperatures and imparts a unique smoky flavor. It is often brushed with ghee or butter, adding a rich, indulgent taste.

Whenever I visit Indian restaurants, I find myself eagerly ordering naan or tandoori roti to accompany my favorite Punjabi curry or dal tadka. They complement the flavors so well.

Many of us do not have a tandoor available at home. If you are like me and have always wanted to enjoy delicious homemade Tandoori roti but lack this traditional cooking method, I'm happy to share an incredibly easy and exciting method to whip up this mouthwatering bread right on your stovetop.

You don't need fancy kitchen gadgets, just a cast-iron tawa, a pair of tongs, and a rack that can sit atop your gas or electric stove.

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, and I can confidently say it never fails to impress. The result is a heavenly roti with a soft, pillowy texture that isn't chewy at all, just perfect for scooping up your favorite curry and enjoying every bite.

Ingredients required

Below is the ingredients list and possible substitutions. The exact ingredient amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

This recipe of roti is made of

• Flour – I have used both whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour in this recipe. You can use only whole wheat flour too. My preferred brand of whole wheat here in the US is Sujata Gold atta.
• Yogurt – The addition of curd gives the roti a soft texture.
• Oil – Gives a bit of crisp texture
• Sugar and salt – For the taste
• Leavening agents – I use baking powder and baking soda to puff up the bread when we cook it. This makes the roti light.
• Ghee or butter for brushing the top

Step-by-step process

Step 1 – Make the dough

• To make the dough, mix maida, whole wheat flour, curd/yogurt, salt, oil, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl. (image 1 to 4)
• Add water slowly and make a tight dough. Make sure the dough is not sticky or wet and is slightly stiff, just like paratha dough. (image 5)
• Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it is smooth. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for 1 hour. (image 6)

Step 2 – Rolling

• Once one hour is done, knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes.
• Now divide the dough into ten equal parts. Make balls from each part. (image 7)
• Take one ball, and roll it to make a 6-inch oval or round-shaped roti. Remember that tandoori roti’s thickness is slightly more than phulka or paratha. (If you want to make garlic roti, at this point, apply some crushed garlic, onion seeds, and finely chopped cilantro and press it a little bit). (image 8 and 9)

Step 3 – cook on Tawa

• Note – I have an induction stove in my kitchen. So for this recipe, I place the rack first and then Tawa on a rack. If you have a gas stove, you can directly place tawa.
• Heat a Tawa. Use a slightly curved roti Tawa for this recipe, not nonstick pans.
• Now apple water on one side of the roti. Transfer the roti to the hot griddle with the waterside down. Tawa needs to be very hot before transferring the roti onto it. (image 10)
• As soon as the roti gets heated up, you will see huge and sometimes even large bubbles on the roti. Cook roti for 30 to 40 seconds on high heat. (image 11)
• Now, remove the rack, invert the Tawa and cook the roti on direct heat until brown spots appear. Keep moving the tawa so that all parts of the roti get cooked. (image 14)
• Bring back the Tawa to its original position on the stovetop.
• Carefully remove the roti from the Tawa. Apply ghee or butter on top and serve hot. 

• The tawa will have a few stuck particles of cooked atta. Just scrape or wipe them off.
• Make the remaining rotis the same way.

Variations

This tastes best with just butter or ghee, but you can use

• finely chopped green chilies and cheese
• only grated garlic
• finely chopped mint with garam masala
• stuff it with paneer.
• sesame seeds
• finely chopped onions with chaat masala
• Or try my favorite variation – Onion seeds, cilantro, and garlic

Notes, Pro-tips, and quick FAQs –

• Apply a generous amount of water on one side of the roti before roasting. This would ensure the rotis stick to the Tawa/cooker, cook properly, and will not fall on the stove during the cooking process.
• Don’t worry if a Couple of the first ones stick to the Tawa. Use a flat spatula and remove them from the tawa/griddle.
• Use only all-purpose flour to make tandoori naan without yeast!
• Always use an Iron Tawa for the best results. A non-stick griddle/Tawa never works for this recipe, as the roti doesn’t stick to the pan and easily falls off.
• Avoid adding a large amount of water to the flour all at once.
• Don't make big rotis as it will restrict even heating on the stovetop, and you will not get perfectly cooked Rotis.
• While rolling, don't use too much dry flour. Too much dry flour will prevent the roti from sticking to the cooking surface. Shake off excess dry flour before cooking.
• Ensure the Tawa is very hot before placing the roti on it.

More Indian flatbread recipes –

• Thepla
• Kulcha
• Puri
• Parotta

Tandoori roti

Author: Dhwani

136kcal

4.8 from 10 votes

Pinterest Facebook Share on X Email

Share Print

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 15 minutes mins

resting time 1 hour hr

Total 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

This recipe will surely blow your mind with its perfect texture and taste. This roti is a little bit crispy from outside and soft from inside, just like Indian restaurants.

Servings 10 roti

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups – Whole wheat flour (atta)
• ▢ ½ cup – All-purpose flour (maida)
• ▢ 4 tablespoon – Yogurt
• ▢ 2 tablespoon – Oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon – Sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon – Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon – Baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon – Baking soda
• ▢ ¾ cup – Water. Or as needed

Get Recipe Ingredients

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

1. To make the dough, mix maida, whole wheat flour, curd/yogurt, salt, oil, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
2. Add water slowly and make a tight dough. Make sure the dough is not sticky or wet and is slightly stiff dough just like paratha dough.
3. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it is smooth. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep aside for 1 hour.
4. Once one hour is done knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes.
5. Now divide the dough into 10 equal parts. Make balls from each part.
6. Take one ball, roll it to make a 6-inch oval or round shaped roti. Keep in mind that, the thickness of tandoori roti is slightly more than phulka or paratha.
7. Heat a Tawa. Use a slightly curved roti Tawa for this recipe and not the nonstick pans. (Note – I have an induction stove in my kitchen. So for this recipe, I placed wire rack first and then Tawa on a rack. If you have a gas stove, you can directly place tawa.)
8. Now apple water on one side of the roti. Transfer the roti on the hot griddle with the waterside down. Tawa needs to be very hot before transferring the roti on to it.
9. As soon the roti gets heated up, you will see huge and sometimes even large bubbles on the roti. Cook roti for 30 to 40 seconds on high heat.
10. Now, take away the rack, invert the Tawa and cook the roti on direct heat until brown spots appear. Keep moving the tawa so that all parts of the roti gets cooked.
11. Bring back the Tawa to its original position on the stovetop.
12. Carefully remove the roti from the Tawa. Apply ghee or butter on top and serve hot with your favorite curry or dal.
13. The tawa will have a few stuck particles of cooked atta. Just scrape or wipe them off.
14. Make remaining Rotis same way

To make garlic tandoori roti –

1. Roll the roti, apply some crushed or chopped garlic, some kalonji(onion seeds), and finely chopped cilantro. Press a little bit.
2. Apple water on the backside of the roti.
3. Transfer the roti on the hot griddle with the waterside down. Tawa needs to be very hot before transferring the roti on to it.
4. As soon the roti gets heated up, you will see huge and sometimes even large bubbles on the roti. Cook roti for 30 to 40 seconds on high heat.
5. Now, take away the rack, invert the Tawa and cook the roti on direct heat until brown spots appear. Keep moving the tawa so that all parts of the roti gets cooked.
6. Bring back the Tawa to its original position on the stovetop.
7. Carefully remove the roti from the Tawa. Apply ghee or butter on top and serve hot.

Nutrition

Serving1rotiCalories136kcalCarbohydrates23gProtein4gFat4gSaturated Fat1gCholesterol1mgSodium91mgPotassium147mgFiber3gSugar1gVitamin A8IUCalcium35mgIron1mg

Video

Notes

Add-ons/variations –

This tastes best with just butter or ghee, but you can sprinkle/use

• finely chopped green chilies and cheese
• only grated garlic
• finely chopped mint with garam masala
• Stuff it with paneer.
• sesame seeds
• finely chopped onions with chaat masala

Pro-tips

• Apply a generous amount of water on one side of the roti before roasting. This would ensure the rotis stick to the Tawa/cooker, cook properly, and will not fall on the stove during the cooking process.
• Don’t worry if a Couple of the first ones stick to the Tawa. Use a flat spatula and remove them from the tawa/griddle.
• To make tandoori naan without yeast, use only all-purpose flour!
• Always use an Iron Tawa for the best results. A non-stick griddle/Tawa never works for this recipe, as the roti doesn’t stick to the pan and easily falls off.
• Avoid adding a large amount of water to the flour all at once.
• Don't make big rotis as it will restrict even heating on the stovetop, and you will not get perfectly cooked Rotis.
• While rolling, don't use too much dry flour. Too much dry flour will prevent the roti from sticking to the cooking surface. Shake off excess dry flour before cooking.
• Ensure the Tawa is very hot before placing the roti on it.
• You can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days.

What to do with Leftover Rotis?

You can make quick paneer pizza. Make paneer topping following this recipe, apply pizza sauce or marinara sauce on roti, add cheese of your choice, top it with paneer toppings, and bake it at 350 degrees F (180 C.) in the oven for 5 minutes. You can use any toppings of your choice.

Private Notes

Click here to add your own private notes.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know We would love to hear your thoughts! Please leave your comments, ratings, and any ideas or changes you think could help us make our recipes even better. Thank you for your feedback!

Warm regards,

Dhwani.