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The preparation of an excellent tandoori roti is an enriching culinary experience that brings the tastes of traditional Indian cuisine right into your kitchen.
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Start by gathering all your ingredients and putting them all into one large mixing bowl.
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Add 500 gms of whole wheat flour, along with one teaspoon of salt, sugar, and baking powder to it.
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These are the primary ingredients for the roti, providing the base flavour and body. Salt enhances the taste, sugar plays a balancing role, and baking powder helps in the development of that appetizing texture while cooking.
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Once all the dry ingredients are well mixed together, it's time to add some wet ingredients.
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Yoghurt adds 200 gms and two tablespoons of melted butter.
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Its richness and moisture content make the roti scrumptious when melted butter adds flavour that takes your roti to new heights. Mix everything well so that the flour absorbs the yoghurt and butter well.
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And then the kneading fun.
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Add about 150 ml water gradually while kneading the dough. This process is essential because it turns the mix into a very soft, pliable dough.
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Make sure to add water gradually because you are likely to add a little less or a bit more according to the humidity and the absorbing capacity of flour. Once you have a dough with a smooth elastic consistency, wrap it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
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The resting time relaxes the gluten network so that the dough can be rolled out later more easily and yields a softer final product.
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Meanwhile, preheat your tandoor oven or any other oven to 250 C. It is high temperature, which provides tandoori roti with the characteristic puff and smoky flavour. Now that the oven is preheated return to the rested dough, divide it into eight parts, and roll each portion into a ball to get uniform rotis. Then, form each into a ball, flatten it slightly, and roll it into a circle of about 6-7 inches in diameter.
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Skewers should be the same thickness all around so they cook evenly.
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Now, let's roll them out. For each roll, lightly wet only one side with water.
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Now, the wet side will stick to the inner wall of the tandoor or the baking tray for those baking in a conventional oven. Lightly place the wet side on the inner surface of the tandoor.
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If you are using a baking tray, stick the wet side onto it.
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Cooking time is relatively short but will be decisive - let the roti cook for 2-3 minutes in the tandoor or 5-7 minutes in the regular oven. Observe how it puffs and bounces up very perfectly, turning a lovely golden brown: this is a visual cue that it's nearly ready.
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Cooked Remove the roti from the oven with tongs, taking care of the heat.
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Finally, generously brush the top side with melted butter, fresh out of the oven. That is not only for flavour but also to give your roti a appetizing shine.
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Serve your tandoori roti warm, along with your favourite curries or your favourite lentils, and enjoy all the fruits of your hard labour.
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Then, the combination of chewy, smoky bread with really rich dishes creates that warm feeling and satisfaction, perfect for showing the true beauty of traditional cooking methods.