Soft Rotis: How to Make Perfectly Soft Indian Flatbreads at Home

When you think of soft rotis, a classic Indian flatbread made from whole wheat flour, water, and a pinch of salt, cooked on a hot griddle. It's known as chapati in many parts of India, and it’s the everyday bread that holds together dal, curry, or sabzi at every meal. But why do some rotis turn out stiff and crumbly, while others are pillowy, pliable, and melt in your mouth? It’s not about fancy ingredients—it’s about technique, temperature, and a few little-known tricks most recipes leave out.

The key to soft rotis starts with the dough. You need the right flour—stone-ground whole wheat, not the fine supermarket kind. Then there’s the water: not too cold, not too hot. And kneading? It’s not just mixing. You knead until the dough feels like your earlobe—soft, elastic, just a little sticky. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes. That’s when the gluten relaxes and the starches hydrate fully. Skip this step, and your roti will crack when you roll it.

Heat matters too. Your tawa or skillet needs to be hot—but not smoking. A drop of water should sizzle and evaporate in under two seconds. Cook each side just long enough for light brown spots to form. Too long, and it dries out. Too short, and it sticks. And here’s the secret most home cooks don’t know: after cooking, wrap the rotis in a clean kitchen towel. The trapped steam keeps them soft for hours. No microwave, no plastic wrap—just cloth and patience.

You’ll find rotis in every Indian kitchen, but not all are made the same. In Punjab, they’re thicker and brushed with ghee. In South India, they’re thinner and served with sambar. In urban homes, people use atta blends or even mix in a bit of semolina for texture. But the goal is always the same: a warm, fresh, soft roti that doesn’t tear when you fold it around your curry.

What you’ll find in the posts below are real, tested methods from home cooks who’ve mastered this. No fluff. No theory. Just how to fix dry rotis, why your dough won’t roll, which flour actually works best, and how to store them so they stay soft the next day. Whether you’re new to Indian cooking or you’ve been making rotis for years, there’s something here that’ll change the way you make them.