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Roti (also known as chapati) is a round
flatbread A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. Flatbreads ran ...
native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius and Fiji. It is made from stoneground whole wheat flour, traditionally known as gehu ka atta, and water that is combined into a dough. Roti is consumed in many countries worldwide. Its defining characteristic is that it is
unleavened In cooking, a leavening agent () or raising agent, also called a leaven () or leavener, is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batters that cause a foaming action (gas bubbles) that lightens and softens the mixture. An alterna ...
. '' Naan'' from the Indian subcontinent, by contrast, is a yeast-leavened bread, as is '' kulcha''. Like breads around the world, roti is a
staple Staple may refer to: *Staple food, a foodstuff that forms the basic constituent of a diet *Staple (fastener), a small formed metal fastener **Surgical staple Arts, entertainment, and media * Staple (band), a Christian post-hardcore band ** ''Stap ...
accompaniment to other foods.


Etymology

The word ''roti'' is derived from the Sanskrit word (''rotikā''), meaning "bread".


Preparation

Roti dough may be rolled out with a rolling pin to create flat, round pieces. This may be done on a circular, flat board called a roti board.


Variants

File:Roti-obaid.jpg, Roti in the Indian subcontinent File:Roti Prata Curry Large.JPG, Ceylon/Kerala-style roti (''porotta'') served with curry File:Plainrotiparatha.jpg, Plain ''roti paratha'' File:Roti Wrap Trafasie.jpg, A roti wrap with boiled egg and smoked chicken in the Netherlands File:Thalichapati.jpg, Indian '' thali'' with ''chapati'' File:Lunch special at Pakwan.jpg, Tandoori roti served with other dishes in an Indian restaurant File:Rumali roti.jpg, A chef preparing '' rumali roti'' in India File:Bajhar_ji_maani.jpg, Bajhar ji maani (bajra roti) in Tharparkar,
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
File:A thali with daal roti bhindi ki sabzi and mango pickle.jpg, Spicy vegetables served with rotis File:Roti pisang.jpg, Roti stuffed with bananas


Indian subcontinent

Many variations of
flatbread A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. Flatbreads ran ...
s and roti are found in many cultures across the globe, from the Indian subcontinent to Africa to Oceania to the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
to the Americas. The roti is a traditional flatbread from the Indian subcontinent. It is normally eaten with cooked vegetables or curries; it can be called a carrier for them. It is made most often from wheat flour, cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a ''tawa''. Traditionally, rotis have also been made from the flour of
millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...
, maize,
jowar ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a grass species cultivated for its grain, which is used for food for humans, animal feed, and ethanol produc ...
, bajra, and even rice. Tandoori roti is cooked by sticking the flattened dough to the inside wall of a tandoor oven, where it bakes quickly at a high temperature. Chapatis are made of whole-wheat flour known as
atta Atta or ATTA may refer to: * Atta Halilintar, Indonesian YouTuber, singer and entrepreneur * ''Atta'' (ant), a genus of ants in the family Formicidae * ''Atta'' (novel), a 1953 novel by Francis Rufus Bellamy * Atta flour, whole wheat flour made f ...
, mixed into dough with water, edible oil and optional salt in a mixing utensil called a '' parat'', and is cooked on a '' tava'' (flat skillet).Nandita Godbole, 2016
Roti: Easy Indian Breads & Sides
Chitra Agrawal, 2017
Vibrant India: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn
page 35.
It is known as ''phulka'' in
Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...
and Saraiki, and ''maani'' in Sindhi.


Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, there is a variant of roti called ''pol roti'' (
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
roti), made of wheat flour, and/or
kurakkan ''Eleusine coracana'', or finger millet, also known as ragi in India, kodo in Nepal, is an annual herbaceous plant widely grown as a cereal crop in the arid and semiarid areas in Africa and Asia. It is a tetraploid and self-pollinating species p ...
flour, and scraped coconut. Sometimes, chopped green chilis and onion are added to the mixture before cooking. These are usually thicker and harder than other roti types. They are usually eaten with curries, or some types of ''
sambol Sambal is an Indonesian chilli sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chilli peppers with secondary ingredients, such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an ...
'' or ''
lunu miris Lunumiris ( Sinhala:ලුණු මිරිස් unu-mirismeans salt and chillies in Sinhalese. Traditionally it is made with ground chillies and salt mixed together into a paste. Some also refer it as "Katta Sambal" but Katta sambal or sam ...
'' and considered a main meal rather than a supplement. Another variety of roti popular in Sri Lanka is '' kottu roti'', which is made up of ''paratha ''or ''godamba roti'', These are cut into small pieces, small in size and rectangular or square in shape. Then on a square heating pan, vegetables and onions are fried. Eggs, cooked meat, or fish are added to fried vegetables and heated for a few minutes. Finally, the pieces of cut ''paratha'' are added. These are chopped and mixed by repeated pounding using heavy iron blades/spatula, the sound of which can be heard from a long distance. Depending upon what ingredients are used, the variations are vegetable, egg, chicken, beef, mutton, and fish ''kottu roti''. It is sometimes prepared and served as a fast food dish. ''Godamba roti'' is another variety found in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. Plain'' godamba roti'' is eaten with curry or it can also be wrapped around a savory filling.


Caribbean

Roti is eaten widely across the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
, especially in countries with large
Indo-Caribbean Indo-Caribbeans or Indian-Caribbeans are Indian people in the Caribbean who are descendants of the Jahaji Indian indentured laborers brought by the British, Dutch, and French during the colonial era from the mid-19th century to the early 20th c ...
populations such as Trinidad and Tobago,
Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
,
Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
, and Jamaica. Originally brought to the islands by indentured laborers from the Indian subcontinent, roti has become a popular staple in the culturally rich cuisines of these countries. In the Caribbean, roti is commonly eaten as an accompaniment to various curries and stews. The traditional way of eating roti is to break the roti by hand, using it to sop up sauce and pieces of meat from the curry. However, in the Caribbean, the term roti may refer to both the flatbread (roti) itself and the more popular street food item, in which the roti is folded around a savory filling in the form of a wrap. The roti wrap is the commercialization of roti and curry together as a fast-food or street-food item in the Caribbean. This wrap form of roti originated in southern Trinidad. It was first created in the mid-1940s by Sackina Karamath, who later founded Hummingbird Roti Shop in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. The wrap was convenient, as the meal could be eaten faster and while on the go, as well as keeping one's hands from getting dirty. In Trinidad and Tobago, various wrapped roti are served, including chicken, conch, goat, beef, and shrimp. Vegetables can also be added including potato, pumpkin, and spinach as well a variety of local condiments, with pepper sauce (hot sauce) and mango chutney being the most popular. The roti wrap quickly gained popularity across the island and spread throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The wrap is now simply referred to as a roti or just roti. The growth in popularity has recently led to referring to the flatbread itself (roti) that surrounds the filling as a "roti skin" or "roti shell", a practice that is now common in both restaurants and commercial companies. Various types of roti are eaten throughout the West Indies. They are most prominently featured in the diets of people in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. Caribbean-style roti is primarily made from wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and water, and cooked on a ''tawa''. Certain rotis are also made with
ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...
or butter.


Trinidad and Tobago


Guyana

''Dosti roti'' is common in Guyana. A small amount of fat is placed in each piece of dough before it is rolled out to make the roti softer. Usually, vegetable oil is used, but butter, or
margarine Margarine (, also , ) is a spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The spread was orig ...
can also be used. Ghee is not used in everyday cooking, but is used on special occasions, especially amongst Hindus. The roti is usually clapped by hand or beaten a bit, hot off the ''tava'', so it softens but does not break. * A good roti in Guyana is very soft, with layers (almost like pastry layers if possible), which remains whole. * The type of roti is determined by what is placed in the dough before it is rolled out. Various types include ''dhalpuri, aloo'' (potato) roti, and even sugar (to keep the kids busy, while the mother finishes cooking). * In Guyana, a rolled-out, thin, flat dough like a roti that is deep-fried in ghee is called a ''puri''. Therefore, a ''dhalpuri'' is not really a puri. * Another item prepared like roti is bake or bakes or floats. A Guyanese or Trinidadian fry bake seems to be more similar to an Indian puri. A bake is made with butter or margarine and has a different ratio of flour to fat. It is made much quicker than roti and is usually made in the mornings. Dough is rolled out and cut into shapes or rolled into small rounds. Guyanese bakes are fried, but bakes from other parts of the West Indies can be baked in an oven. Bakes are usually paired with a quick
fry-up A full breakfast is a substantial cooked breakfast meal, often served in the United Kingdom and Ireland, that typically includes back bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, baked beans, some form of potato, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and a be ...
for breakfast or dinner,
stewed A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and m ...
saltfish, or eggs ("western" style, with onions, tomatoes, green peppers). Bakes are also made in other parts of the West Indies, including Trinidad, Barbados, and St. Vincent. In Trinidad and Tobago, a "bake and shark" is a popular street-food sandwich in which fried shark is placed between two halves of a sliced bake with local condiments. Pepper sauce, ''shado beni'',
garlic sauce Garlic sauce is a sauce prepared using garlic as a primary ingredient. It is typically a pungent sauce, with the depth of garlic flavor determined by the amount of garlic used. The garlic is typically crushed or finely diced. Simple garlic sauce ...
, tamarind, and mango chutney are most common, as well as lettuce, tomato, and cucumber for fillers.


Suriname

In Suriname, roti refers mainly to ''dhalpuri'' or ''aloo puri''. It is most often eaten with curried chicken. As in Trinidad and the West Indies, roti can also refer to the stuffed roti wrap. This dish is usually eaten out of hand. Due to a mass emigration of Indian Surinamese in the 1970s, roti became a popular take-out dish in the Netherlands. It usually includes chicken curry, potatoes, a boiled egg, and various vegetables, most notably the ''kousenband'' or yardlong bean. Another variation includes shrimp and aubergine. The meat with gravy, potatoes, egg, and yardlong beans are served side by side on a plate, with the ''aloo puri'' folded in fours on top.


Southeast Asia

In Indonesia and Malaysia, the term encompasses all forms of bread, including Western-style bread, as well as the traditional Indian breads. In Thailand, โรตี refers to the ''maida'' '' paratha''—known in Indonesia as ''roti maryam, roti cane'', or ''roti konde'', in Malaysia as '' roti canai'', and in Singapore as '' roti prata''. In Cambodia, រ៉ូទី is a dessert that is sold as street food. It is similar to both a crêpe and paratha.


South Africa

Roti was initially introduced to South Africa by Indian migrants during the 19th century, and subsequently became incorporated into Durban cuisine. It is widely eaten by the Indian communities living in South Africa, and is either eaten as a flat bread or a wrap with locally made curries.


Mauritius

Similarly as with other countries that were part of the Indian diaspora, roti was introduced to Mauritius by Indian migrants/
indentured labourers Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract, called an " indenture", may be entered "voluntarily" for purported eventual compensation or debt repayment ...
during the 19th century, and has since been a staple of Mauritian cuisine and a common street food. Roti generally refers to ''farata'' (a local pronunciation of paratha), a pancake made of wheat flour and water; other variants include ''dholl puri'', which is layered, and stuffed with boiled and ground dal/split peas, and ''ti puri'', a smaller roti that is fried and usually served with seven different curries.


Iran

In Iran, the two variants of roti are called ''khaboos'' and '' lavash''. These two breads (the former of which is almost exactly prepared like Indian roti) are quite similar to other rotis.


North America

Roti shops are now abundant in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Owing to Canada's considerable immigrant populations from both South Asia and the Caribbean, roti and its variants are popular there. As
Indo-Caribbeans Indo-Caribbeans or Indian-Caribbeans are Indian people in the Caribbean who are descendants of the Jahaji Indian indentured laborers brought by the British, Dutch, and French during the colonial era from the mid-19th century to the early 20th ce ...
moved to North American cities such as Toronto, New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, and Montreal, they exported with them the wrapped version of roti. A distinct Toronto offering is the "East Indian roti", a variation on the stuffed roti from the West Indies.


See also

* Bhatura * Jolada rotti * Kulcha * Luchi * Tortilla


Notes


References

{{Street food Indian cuisine North Indian cuisine Indian breads Bihari cuisine Uttar Pradeshi cuisine Punjabi cuisine Sindhi cuisine Nepalese cuisine Pashtun cuisine Balochi cuisine Kashmiri cuisine Fijian cuisine Jamaican cuisine Mauritian cuisine Flatbreads Pakistani breads Unleavened breads Bengali cuisine Punjabi words and phrases Gujarati cuisine Trinidad and Tobago cuisine Indian inventions Guyanese cuisine Surinamese cuisine Indo-Caribbean cuisine Bangladeshi cuisine Sri Lankan breads Indonesian breads Malaysian breads