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Khamiri roti
Leavened wholewheat flatbread
خمیری روٹی (khamiri roti): a soft, slightly tangy leavened wholewheat roti from the tawa and tandoor
Long before packets of yeast reached Pakistani kitchens, households kept back a lump of yesterday's dough and worked it into the new batch, and khamiri roti is the bread that method makes: thicker and softer than a chapati, with an airy crumb and a gentle sourness. It is the standard bread of many neighbourhood tandoors from Multan to Peshawar, bought by the stack for lunch with chana, sabzi, dal or saag, and some families make it on a tawa during Ramadan because it stays soft until sehri. This version uses a little yeast and a long rise to get the same flavour without the starter. People often get it wrong by rolling it as thin as a chapati, which pushes out the gas and leaves a flat, leathery roti. Chef's tip: let the dough ferment for at least two and a half hours, or overnight in the fridge, and shape each roti by patting it out with your palms rather than with a rolling pin.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 12 ½ oz wholewheat flour (chapati atta)
- 5 ½ oz plain flour (maida)plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups lukewarm waterabout
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 12 ½ oz wholewheat flour (chapati atta), 5 ½ oz plain flour (maida), 1 tsp instant dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add 1 ½ cups lukewarm water gradually and knead for 8–10 minutes into a soft, slightly sticky dough that springs back slowly when pressed.
Step 3: Cover the bowl and leave in a warm spot for 2 1/2 hours, until the dough has doubled, smells faintly sour and is full of bubbles when you pull it.
150 minStep 4: Knock back gently and divide into six balls; cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Heat a heavy tawa or cast-iron pan over a medium-high heat until a sprinkle of flour browns in about 10 seconds.
3 minStep 6: Dust a ball with flour and pat it between your palms into an 18 cm round about 6–7 mm thick.
Step 7: Lay the roti on the tawa and cook for 1 1/2–2 minutes, until small bubbles rise and the underside has brown spots.
2 minStep 8: Flip and cook for 1 1/2 minutes more, then lift the roti with tongs and hold it over a gas flame for a few seconds on each side until it puffs and chars in places; on an electric hob, press the edges with a cloth until it puffs.
2 minStep 9: Stack the cooked rotis in a cloth-lined basket to keep them soft, and repeat with the rest of the dough.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khamiri roti take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 160 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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