Soft Fiji Roti Recipe: How to Make Roti on a Tawa
, by Domalco, 3 min reading time
How to make soft, puffy Fiji-style roti at home using a parat (mixing tray), belna (rolling pin) and tawa (flat griddle).
Photo: Mugabi Owen / Unsplash
In Fiji, roti (flatbread) is on the table almost every day. It's wrapped around chicken curry for a roti parcel, packed in school lunch boxes, and served with every Diwali and wedding meal. Good Fiji roti is soft and thin, with light brown spots, and it puffs up on the tawa (flat griddle). Here's how to make it at home.
Fiji Hindi words in this recipe
- atta (flour)
- parat (wide, shallow mixing tray)
- belna (rolling pin)
- chakla (round rolling board)
- tawa (flat iron griddle)
- ghee (clarified butter)
- loi (small ball of dough)
Ingredients
Makes 10–12 roti · Prep 15 min + 30 min rest · Cook 20 min
- 4 cups atta (flour); plain white flour is most common in Fiji, or use half wholemeal
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil or ghee
- About 1½ cups warm water
- Extra flour for rolling
- Ghee or butter for brushing
Method
- Make the dough. Put the flour and salt in a parat or large bowl. Add the oil and rub it in. Pour in the warm water a little at a time, mixing with your hand, until a soft dough forms.
- Knead. Knead for 5–8 minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed. It should be soft but not sticky.
- Rest. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for at least 30 minutes. This relaxes the dough and makes softer roti.
- Make the loi. Divide the dough into 10–12 even balls (loi, small balls of dough).
- Roll. Dust a ball with flour and roll it on a chakla (rolling board) with a belna (rolling pin) into a thin circle about 18 cm across. Turn it as you roll to keep it round.
- Cook on the tawa. Heat a tawa (flat griddle) or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the roti on it. When small bubbles appear (about 20–30 seconds), flip it.
- Puff it. Cook the second side for 30 seconds, then flip again and press gently around the edges with a folded cloth. The roti should puff up. Cook until light brown spots appear on both sides.
- Brush and stack. Brush with ghee and stack in a cloth-lined container to keep warm and soft.
Tips for soft roti
- Soft dough = soft roti. If your roti is hard, the dough was too dry or not rested long enough.
- Right heat. Too low and the roti dries out before it browns; too high and it burns before it puffs.
- Keep them covered. Stack cooked roti in a cloth or lidded container so the steam keeps them soft.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my roti puff up?
Usually the tawa isn't hot enough, the roti is rolled unevenly, or it has a tear. Roll evenly and press gently with a cloth on the second flip.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. Wrap it and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bring it back to room temperature before rolling.
Roti essentials at Domalco
Pick up a stainless steel parat, rolling pins, tawas and more from our Indian kitchen range at our Ba and Lautoka stores, or shop online with free delivery on orders over $100.
Serve with: Fiji chicken curry · Fiji goat curry