Roti Pancakes

Roti is the foundational flatbread of Indian and Caribbean kitchens, the warm, soft round you tear and use to scoop up curry, dal, and chutney. This version is the basic style: just flour, baking soda, salt, milk, and a little oil for cooking. No yeast, no rest, no fancy equipment.

The double-roll technique is what gives these their distinctive layered tenderness. You roll the dough out flat, brush with oil, ball it back up, rest 15 minutes, and roll out again. The folded oil creates flaky internal layers that puff and steam apart as the roti hits the hot griddle.

The pound-with-palms step at the end is traditional and not optional. Slapping the cooked roti between your hands knocks out steam and softens the bread into the supple, foldable texture that defines a proper roti.

Pro Tips

• The dough should feel stiff but not dry, add milk a tablespoon at a time if it feels crumbly. Too wet and the roti sticks to the rolling pin.
• Knead the dough until it springs back when poked, this builds gluten and makes the roti chewy rather than crumbly.
• Get the cast iron skillet truly hot before cooking. A water drop should bounce and skitter, not sit and steam.
• Don’t skip the resting step between rolls. Gluten relaxes, the dough becomes easier to roll thin, and the layers separate better.
• Stack finished rotis in a clean tea towel to keep them warm and moist while you cook the rest.

Variations

• Sub half the flour for whole wheat flour for a nuttier, more traditional Indian-style roti.
• Brush with ghee instead of oil for richer, more deeply flavored bread.
• Sprinkle with cumin seeds or chopped cilantro before the second roll for a flavored variation.