Pumpkin roti. Three ingredients, few important steps, and you have the easiest and softest roti there is. This pumpkin roti stays soft for two days if wrapped well and you can skip the pumpkin and make the most perfect delicious plain rotis/ Phulkas.
My love for pumpkin just gets stronger by every passing year. I have a plethora of PUMPKIN recipes on my blog and I can’t believe I didn’t share this one, it’s something I’ve been making for years.
The minute I posted my quick gluten free roti recipe, I started getting requests for the wheat fail-proof phulka or roti. For some reason it has taken this long to share. Every time I share rotis or phulkas on instagram, I have had a sea of requests for a foolproof roti recipe that stays soft for a long time. It’s the season, and why not pumpkin roti?
What is Roti or Phulka?
Roti or phulka is a round flatbread that is very popular in the northern part of India. It’s made with stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta, and water that is combined into a dough. The other popular variations are paratha, and puri. Although I love make plain rotis, I also enjoy some additions like pumpkin, sweet potato, peas and even pureed beets. They add color and a slight flavor which I love and enjoy.
How to make this Phulka or Roti/Pumpkin Roti
To make this pumpkin roti recipe for beginners, just 4 ingredients are required – atta, pumpkin, salt and water. There is no leavening agent needed in this flat bread. Phulka or Roti looks very similar to a tortilla. I make many variations to rotis: spinach rotis, sweet potato roti, pumpkin roti, potato roti, green peas roti and so on. Even within India, there are variations of how roti is made. Some regions or cultures make them thinner while others a bit thicker. Punjabi’s make roti thicker, while Gujrathi’s from western India make roti very thin, my Marwari friend makes it medium, exactly the way I like it. This video will show you how to make perfect pumpkin roti for beginners to everyone.
So, I have been working on getting this video recipe of phulkas or rotis for a while and I’m excited to share it with all of you. Leave the pumpkin and you have the softest phulkas ever.
If you make this Phulka/Pumpkin Roti/Roti, do tag me on social media at #foodfashionparty. I’d love to see it.
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- 2 cups Whole Wheat flour / atta
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree ( you can steam or boil the pumpkin, mash or puree it or use canned pumpkin puree)
- 1 tbsp salt
- ⅓ cup of water
- In a large bowl or flat plate with high edges, take 2 cups of flour.
- Add the pumpkin and salt.
- Mix the pumpkin and flour with salt. Slowly start adding water and mix with your hand. Don't add all water at once. Keep adding water as needed, while mixing.
- Once the dough starts to form, do not add more water. The amount of water will vary depending on the brand of flour you use and the temperature of the room.
- Rest the dough for 10 minutes before kneading it again. Make it smooth by kneading it with your fist for about two minutes. The more you knead the more softer the rotis will be. When you press your finger against the dough, it should leave an impression. The top will be smooth and soft looking. This is the right consistency of the dough.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. This helps gluten to release and the dough becomes more elastic. Open and knead and roll into a log.
- The final dough should be semi soft, not hard (hard is best for puri's).
- Take a small ball and dust it with flour on both sides and start rolling. With even pressure, roll from middle to outside.
- Make sure you don't have any tears or folds or pinches in the roti dough. The pulkas/roti will not puff.
- Pre Heat a Tawa (griddle) on medium-high flame.
- Pick the roti and flip between both your palms to remove any extra flour. Transfer roti on the tawa by taking it on your palm.
- Turn when the color starts changing and small air pockets form in about 10 seconds.
- For the other side, now we want to cook until there are some brown spots on the roti
- Take it out of the griddle and cook directly on medium flame. Use a flat tong (chimta) to turn from side to side until the roti puffs. It will take about 5-10 seconds on each side.
Knead the dough well, it should be not too hard and not too soft/sticky.
Let the dough rest covered with a damp cloth for 15-30 minutes, so the gluten is released and it becomes more pliable.
Roll the dough with the pam, applying equal pressure on all sides.
Apply ghee to cooked rotis so it stays softer longer.
When you are a begginer to roti making, you might need to use more dry flour. But always dust off any excess flour before cooking on the Tawa, otherwise the dry flour can make the roti dry and hard.
Making roti needs lots of practice. So be patient and keep practicing.
