Roti with tomato thokku

I am really looking forward for summer this year. Ooops not for hot weather or ice cream, I am getting enough of itchy nose and watery eyes! Past two years, I thought I have outgrown the seasonal allergy. This year it returned with all day: Aaaaouch scenario! Result, I opened here and there my reader and my blog! My unread posts have grown like monster! Sorry, I will soon visit your place if I haven’t.
Last week, one of my enthusiastic reader wanted this recipe. Roti/chapatti is an Indian bread without any leavening agent. Only one main ingredient whole wheat flour, salt and water kneaded into dough, rolled and cooked in cast iron one side and flipped directly to the flame.Some Indian recipes will sound and look quite easy but one can master the skill with only few errors and trial/experience. Roti is the great example. I don’t recall my mom rolling chapatti for us. We were mostly die hard fan of South Indian dishes (rice based). Whenever she wants to prepare pooris, I remember searching in cupboards for the rolling pin. The only way, wheat is used in my house is either wheat dosa or pooris.
After marriage, I learnt to make rotis, first few years; it came out crisp like papad, roti rolled in unimaginable shapes, uncooked edges, etc…. But I never gave up my try, but now I make every day roti and I came a long way to make a decent one! After reading King Arthur bread book where they hinted adding mashed potato in wheat flour keeps the dough moist! I tried in chappati dough. Even if you are holding the rolling pin for first time – you will be amazed how easy to make soft chapatti. You can skip mashed potato and brush with oil and do fold method. You get a soft chapatti each time. Opt any version. I feel a good brand of wheat flour is important: I use Aashirwad or golden temple Atta (US). Tomato thokku is great combination for roti and mostly referred to travel food!


Check out the slideshow.Pictures are not great but helpful for beginners!




Ingredients:

Whole Wheat flour: 1 cup
salt: 3/4 tsp
Warm water: 1/2 cup
oil: 1/2 tsp
 1 tbsp mashed potato or  if Instant potato flakes: 1 tbsp + 1 Tbsp of hot water ( Mix the potato flakes in hot water)-

Extra flour for dusting

Needed tools:

Rolling pin and work surface (I use a silicone cookie sheet-silpat works great)
Cast iron griddle or non stick pan
Spatula or Roti presser

Method:

Making dough

Mix the wheat flour, cooled mashed potato, salt together. Make a soft dough using the water. If you have used potato the dough turn extremely soft Like baby bottom! No knead for long time to bring the dough soft. If you have skipped potato knead the dough until u get a soft dough (about 5 min)
Cover the bowl and let it rest for 3o min.

Resting period

Once the dough is rested, make 4 equal balls.

Rolling

Need extra flour for dusting.

Dust the work surface with little flour. Flatten the dough slightly and roll the dough from the middle without giving much pressure. Start rolling from the side. The rolled dough should not be too thick and thin (refer the slide )

Folding method:
Roll the dough pretty much 4 inch diameter, spray some oil or brush oil. Fold into half circle and fold again (u get a triangle shape)
Now roll the dough not too thin or thick.

Cooking method

Heat the cast iron or pan. It should be hot the griddle, lift the rolled dough and place in hot griddle. You will see  the dough changing color at this time, press  at the edge of roti and keep rotating in griddle . Flip only once and press the edges with a spatula or roti presser.
Oil can be added depend upon ur diet. I smear little oil while flipping.

Storing

Remove from fire, wrap in aluminium foil or keep in hot pack. The roti stays soft and fresh even after hours and day!

Few thing to remember:
Do not flip many times.
The griddle should be hot when making roti
Few errors and trials are quiet common, do not give up!





Folding method Triangular Method: Plain Paratha










Ingredients:

Onion: one big -minced
Roma tomato: 4 medium- minced
Green chillies:  4 sliced
Curry leaves: few
Red chilli powder: 1tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Seasoning:
Oil: 2 to 3 tsp (if you want to keep for days use oil little more)
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin: 1 tsp
Urad dhal: 1tsp


Method:

Heat oil in a pot. Starts with mustard seeds, when it pops add the urad dhal and cumin. Immediately add the onion and fry until translucent. Add the diced tomato, green chillies and curry leaves with little pinch of salt (will help to cook quickly). Cover the pan and reduce the heat in medium. When the tomato is cooked add the podwers and salt and cook until the oil will ooze out of the pan. U will never need to add water.
The tomato thokku store well without refrigeration if it is well cooked without water.  That is why it is referred as Travel food with roti not to mention no mess !

Comments

Priya Suresh said…
Roti with thokku, i can have them anytime...fabulous combo..
Wonderful dinner recipe for starters..Roti and Thakkali thokku are my favorite. My Mom lived North India for a long time and would roll roti's as perfect circles..I learnt it from her !!!
Anu said…
My all time fav thokku... Looks yummy....
Finla said…
This is how i make them too, don't know what tha tblack heavy things is when you fry the roties.
Now worries when you are feeling ill you don't have to feel guilty for not bloghopping.
I wend for a unexpected blogbreak and only started bloghopping today.
What i do is as if i miss a week of hopping, my reader just gets more than 1000 and i just delete them as i know i would never be able to read them.
Shama Nagarajan said…
most popular yummy combo ...nice photo..
Lavanya Raj said…
wow. i loved the slideshow Cham. the 2nd way of making roti is new to me, and will try it next time!

slideshow was just like video!
Good Job!
Preeti Kashyap said…
I agree with you when you say it is a travel food cham. Yummy,spicy and no fuss food! I make this for rotis and make a spicier one to use as pickles! Tastes heaven.
Cham said…
Shabita Making a circle is an art:)
HCThat is a wooden chapati presser (not heavy) i got from India. I ve 3 digits unread messages- even I dissapeared last week!
LaviThanks!
he hee .I liked it when u said" I used to search for the rolling pin when wanted to make pooris " . It used to be exactly the same at my place and I, like u made papads too . but as u said , i always make that folded method to get it soft though its time consuming but atleast chappathi turns out more than decent.

Good one da and tomato thokku is one versatile one which goes with everything well. Urs looking so good
Pari Vasisht said…
Hmmm, looks yumm. I love the thokku with idli.
panchpakwan said…
Delicious combo..
Nice roti making video..
FH said…
Me too! Can't for July regardless of heat. I am so tired of sneezing and itchy throat even today after it rained for 2 days straight. Ahhh!! That's the reason I blog surf just for 2 hrs a day and rest my eyes, listen to CD books rest of the day.Take care of yourself, blogging can wait.
I have planted few Plum Tomatoes plant this year, might get to make plenty of Thokku for Summer. looks good, so yummy with soft Chapatis! :))
Unknown said…
Lovely picture. Cham, same pinch regarding allergies. Try out salt water vapor, they are very soothing for allergy eyes and try an eye wash too. Google more on this salt water thing and it really helps..
kitchen queen said…
lovely and delicious combo.
Bong Mom said…
You are very true. Making roti is an art. I am not good at it at all.

Get well soon from the allergies at least it is hot where you are
Malar Gandhi said…
And take care of ur health.
Malar Gandhi said…
I remember my days of making rotis in all shapes like Africa, America, Australia,hehe. Yeah, it takes a while to perfect certain recipes, right. Love this combo' so much...fix it quite often:)
Unknown said…
Cham that slide show for beginners is gr8! the rotis and thokku look delectable...must be agr8 combo.
Rachana said…
A delicioous combination.
Sunitha said…
Nice.. this looks great.. I always tend to add all the powders before I add the tomato but I think this will give a different taste so will give it a go
SS blogs here said…
Hope you feel better soon. No worries about not blog-hopping. :)

I think aata brand made it all for me! I never used to get soft rotis. I recently bought Ashirwad and lugged it all the way from India! And they now turn out amazing. Looking for good brands here now. Have heard some Suvarna or Swarna is decent. Good to know your experience with Golden Temple is decent. Thanks for the info!
A_and_N said…
I remember my lunch boxes! :)
Nandinis food said…
Fantastic combo and slide shows look great:)
Earlier I used to prepare triangle shaped rotis and I stopped preparing, when my daughter said "Mom! This one looks like a bikini panty."
Cham said…
NandiniROFL, gal what an imagination!
A2z: I will google about that remedy, thanks :)
Uma said…
Wow, a perfect video for me. Thanks Cham for the detailed chapathi process. tomato thokku is a great combo with rotis. Yum!!

Take care of your health. Even DH is full of allergies and they never seem to leave him. I like Spring season for the weather and hate it for the allergies :)
lovely new combo... yum , yum, yum...
Sonia said…
Yeah, rolling a roti is an art! You need a practice to master it. At our home, roti is must! :) Tomato thokku looks so delicious.
Oh! take care dear. Get well soon!
jayasree said…
Cham, Take care.

The idea of adding mashed potato is new to me. Will try it next time. As you said, combo of roti and thokku reminds me of travel.
notyet100 said…
wow lovely tutorial,,,whn i started cooking i was preety bad at rotis,..but thnks to my hubbys patience ,..he never used to say anythin,,tomato thokku looks interestin will try nd let u knw,,the one with oil triangle one we call it paratha...
SpicyTasty said…
I love roti with thokku. it is perfect.
Unknown said…
Wat a lovely presentation...the presentation looks soo gud..looking for many more such presentations. My fav combo with thakali thoku..hmm yum!
Unknown said…
awesome combo..my chapatis used to be very bad..it comes perfect after a good amount of pratice..
Raks said…
My hubby's favorite! I make this so often :) Goes well with idly dosa too!
Unknown said…
First take care of your health dear take rest... roti and tomato thokku is always my fav. looks mouthwatering yummmmm...
Padhu Sankar said…
Nice post for beginners!! I love this combo very much .Take care of your health,Cham
gtyuk said…
Rotis look perfect with the tomato thokku Cham !!
and lovely demonstration of the method; and I loved that tool you're using for pressing the rotis :) I use the old fashioned kitchen towel to press, hahah that's a nice lovely tool you have there !!

my husband has the pollen allergy problems too ; pouring eyes, irritating nose.. Bon courage ma chère !!!
SathyaSridhar said…
Roti with thakali thokku very good combo dear, sure it will taste good my amma use to make this combination food while we do long trips.
Vanamala Hebbar said…
lovely ...perfect for lunchbox.
Unknown said…
Cham, thats interesting tip about adding mashed potatoes. Will try it next time I make roti :) ...and my god what fluffy and smooth evenly done roti u make ! I was extremly curious about that roti presser. Where did u find it in US? or did u buy from India? Here I use my potato masher for the same task, but doesnt work well as it has holes.
Gita Jaishankar said…
Roti with thokku..nice combination Cham....I too make this thokku often for idlis and dosas...never tried them with rotis...looks good :)
Deepthi Shankar said…
thokku looks awesome .. I replace red chilli powder with rasam powder
Namitha said…
Sorry to hear about your allergies...Don't you worry, Summer is right there in the corner :D

This is a perfect combo. Should try your version of thokku next time :-)
Usha said…
Fabulous combination, looks delicious!
Cynthia said…
My siblings and I remain die-hard rice fans but my mom LOVES roti and so she insisted that my sister and I learn to make it properly from a young age! :)
Vikis Kitchen said…
superb combo. I too make it for travel. yours look very cute.
M D said…
That tomato thokku looks mouth watering! Yum!
R said…
nice and detailed recipe! luv the click too.
Cham... thanks so much for stopping by..
I have missed many of your special recipes.. hope to be more regular now..Take care..Swati
Indian Khana said…
Thokku looks gr8 ..and nice click...
shankari said…
My rotis were pappads at one point too :) I have been eating my roti with onion thokku from Grand snacks and need a change
PJ said…
loved seeing your slideshow.. nicely done! yes, this year i am waiting for summer too, or spring, or something other than winter :)
RShan said…
Lovely tomato thokku - just like the one my hubby likes, but Im never able to get it just so, so I gave up. I will try this one for one last time :)

Miri - Peppermill
Suganya said…
Looks very appetizing. Lovely recipe. Yummy combination...
Hayley said…
Great combo...looks tempting!! my daughter's got same problem...she can't enjoy herself...in summer.
Yasmeen said…
Video sure is helpful for beginners.Roti & thokku together sounds very appetizing :D
Sindhura said…
Hi Cham,
First time here.I must appreciate ur blog dear,love all ur recipes n beautifully captured fotos.
This combo looks inviting.
Do drop in sometime
Parita said…
Hope you feel better soon! dont feel guilty for not able to bloghopping :)
I love tomato thokku..looks yummy!
Divya Kudua said…
Yumm..the tomato thokku looks tangy and spicy,just the way I like it!!