Vegan Roti Recipe (Easy Whole Wheat Flatbread)

This simple, whole-wheat vegan roti recipe is so quick that you may even add it to your regular cooking rotation!

A roti, also called a chapati, is much like what in the West we would call a whole wheat tortilla, just not quite as thin. This type of Indian flatbread is perfect for scooping up any saucy dish like a delicious curry.

By making this homemade bread from scratch, you can avoid unwanted preservatives so you know exactly what you are eating. (You can also get compliments on your cooking skills, which is always a plus!)

You may have seen roti on the menu at an Indian restaurant alongside other Indian bread like garlic naan. Try this vegan roti recipe with your favorite vegan Indian recipes for a hearty, satisfying, and delicious meal!

What is the plural form of roti?

From what I can tell, roti can be either singular or plural, so I will be using the word for both. It seems like the New York Times follows this rule when writing about roti, so it’s good enough for me!

Some people use rotis to clarify when they mean for the term to be plural, which also appears to be just fine.

One source suggested that rotti, with two ts, was the plural form of roti, but that seems less common based on a quick Google search.

Isn’t roti vegan naturally?

Typically, yes, unless cooked with ghee. The dough is simply composed of flour and water, with salt optional, so the only variable is what type of oil you brush on while cooking.

As long as you use a plant-based oil rather than butter or animal fat, roti are vegan.

However, by calling this recipe vegan, people who aren’t sure what roti is but follow a vegan diet are more likely to try an unfamiliar recipe and be impressed with how easy it is to make great roti at home!

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What is the best flour for making this vegan roti recipe?

I used whole wheat flour as I already had some, and the roti turned out great!

Traditionally, people use atta flour, which is a whole meal flour that you can find at an Indian grocery store – an Indian whole wheat flour, if you will. It appears to be much more finely ground than regular whole wheat flour. This is also sometimes called durum wheat atta flour.

To create very soft roti, more like what you would get with atta flour if you don’t have easy access to it, you can try using 2 parts whole wheat flour to 1 part all-purpose flour.

White whole wheat flour would also be a good substitute for the traditional atta flour, as would bread flour. Both have more protein than all-purpose flour.

Whole wheat roti aren’t quite as soft, but since this is a staple food, a daily bread, a healthy, whole-grain, high-fiber roti is a great choice for this very popular dish.

Do I really need a special kind of rolling pin for the dough?

Many authentic recipes will tell you to use something like a French rolling pin with no handles for more even pressure.

As you can tell from my photo, I have a standard rolling pin with handles. However, by rolling from the pin itself and not using the handles, I was able to roll out the roti very evenly and smoothly. (This is actually how I always use that rolling pin as the handles do make it a bit unwieldy.)

Tip: as you are rolling, move the roti by a quarter turn at a time to yield an even circle.

How do I get smooth dough?

If your dough looks too dry from too much flour, you can add a bit more water. The proportions may be off if you use a different type of flour.

Conversely, if the dough is sticky from too much water (aka shaggy dough), you will need to add more flour.

If you are having a hard time getting the right texture for your dough (nice and soft dough is the goal), it would be better to err on the side of just barely too wet, as you will be rolling the flat bread out on flour.

After rolling out your piece of dough into a perfect circle (or lovable imperfect blob), you can pick your roti up and pat off any excess flour before placing it on your flat griddle to cook.

After the first time you make roti, you will find the best way (and the best proportions) for you.

Do I really need to rest the dough for 30 minutes?

No, not necessarily. 10-20 minutes of this simple step will also work reasonably well to relax the gluten.

30 minutes (or even an hour or overnight in the fridge) will let the gluten fully bind the dough together, so the dough forms a cohesive whole. Right after mixing, it would be easy to divide the dough, whereas after it rests, you really need to tear, twist, or cut the dough apart, which means it will stay together nicely and puff up in nice layers when you cook it.

Roti dough is unleavened, so the size won’t change after resting as you’d expect with vegan naan dough.

Types of roti

Roti canai, also called roti prata or roti chanai, is very similar to plain roti. However, the main difference is that you oil and fold (or twist) the roti canai dough more to yield a flaky roti. This process is similar to laminating croissant dough. Roti canai are sometimes stuffed with savory or sweet fillings and sold at Mamak stalls (think Halal Muslim/Indian street food).

One example of this is roti pisang, which is a roti canai stuffed with banana, sugar, and butter.

Phulka roti are small roti typically baked with no oil directly over a flame. This makes them puff up a lot and taste a bit roasted.

Tandoori roti are roti that are baked in a clay tandoor oven, like how naan is typically made.

A vegan Jamaican roti wrap typically uses white flour and baking powder, and is then pan fried, so it is somewhere between a traditional roti and naan due to the leavening.

Variations on this vegan roti recipe

With such a simple recipe, it’s easy to add your own flair. For example:

You can make a sweet potato flatbread by adding a cooked mashed sweet potato (or just throw boiled sweet potatoes in a food processor) and only 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour.

Sweet potato spelt roti is a fun variation with an ancient grain.

Of course, you can add herbs, change up the oil, and really make this recipe your own!

Make gluten-free roti!

Try millet flour or rice flour instead of wheat flour if you follow a gluten-free diet.

These are harder to roll out due to the lack of gluten acting as a binding agent.

Especially when using rice flour, use very hot water when working with gluten-free flours to make this a little easier.

What to serve with this vegan roti recipe

Serve roti with any saucy dish: curries, daals, chutneys, or any stewed or stir-fried vegetable dish that needs something to scoop up the extra sauce with! Pair roti with any Indian cuisine you can think of.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• Cholay/chana masala
• Cabbage curry with coconut milk
• Tikil gomen (Ethiopian cabbage)
• Sichuan broccoli and tofu
• Saag paneer (as shown in photo)
• Curried green beans (or try a yardlong bean recipe for authenticity), aloo gobi, or your favorite Indian dish

You can also add sweet fillings (or just melted vegan butter with cinnamon and sugar) for a whole wheat dessert.

Why coconut oil?

I used coconut oil for three reasons:

1. It’s fun.
2. Someone gave us an enormous jar of it and I am trying to use as much as possible while it is still fresh.
3. We make coconut curries somewhat regularly, so the flavor will go well with most things we cook.

Of course, if you don’t care for the flavor of coconut, you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, melted vegan butter, or the simplest option, cooking spray.

After taking my photographs, I ate the roti with saag paneer on top, and couldn’t especially taste the coconut flavor.

However, when I tried a roti plain with just the dried chives, I could definitely taste the coconut flavor from the coconut oil. It does have a sweet flavor. I enjoyed it, but your mileage may vary, so feel free to adjust accordingly.

How hot should I cook roti?

My stove seems to run hot. I started at medium-high heat. At this level, the roti puffed up beautifully (the best part to watch!) and got dark brown spots on the first side. However, the pan also started smoking and I nearly burned one, so I turned the heat down to what my stove calls a simmer.

At that level, the roti developed golden brown spots and only small bubbles, not large bubbles. This made me not have to worry about burning the roti, but also made me impatient cooking, so make of that what you will.

You can use your spatula to press down the sides of the bread (outer edges) if desired (I didn’t bother), but avoid pressing on the middle to your roti bubbles up.

Storage and freezing

Store any leftover roti (or leftover rotis – see above) in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days, or freeze excess as there are no preservatives. You can add wax paper in between the roti before freezing to make it easier to separate just one or two.

I was actually out of gallon freezer bags, so I put four roti each into two quart freezer bags, which is probably perfect for two meals.

You can also store roti dough in the fridge for a few days. Just let the dough return to room temperature before cooking.

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Vegan roti recipe ingredients

Edible ingredients

Before you begin, you will need:

• 2 cups + 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp warm water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or oil of your choice – see above)

Tools and Equipment

• Skillet or griddle (I used a cast iron skillet.)
• Large bowl for mixing
• Spatula for turning the roti, and maybe a soft one for scraping down the dough
• Optional: stand mixer with bread hook, or spoon and allow extra time and energy to knead by hand
• Optional: dough scraper
• Rolling pin
• Brush for oil (or use cooking spray)
• Measuring cups and spoons

How to make this easy vegan roti recipe at home

Make the roti dough and roll it

1. First, add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Slowly add in the water to the bowl of flour and salt as you stir until fully incorporated. Knead or mix with stand mixer and bread hook for at least five minutes.
2. Then, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. While the dough is resting, measure out 2 Tbsp of coconut oil into a microwave safe bowl. After that, set up your rolling station on a clean surface like a cutting board with your rolling pin, extra flour, and a plate for the rolled out roti.
4. When the 30 minutes are up, divide the roti dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them into smooth balls.
5. For each ball, flour your work surface, then press each side of the dough ball into the flour to flatten it. Begin rolling it out into a thin circle, until it looks like a small tortilla. Set aside, cover with something like a damp kitchen towel, and repeat until all the roti have been rolled out. Keep the dough covered until cooking.

Cook the roti

1. Heat your skillet to medium heat to medium high heat. If it begins smoking a lot, turn down the heat to medium low. Microwave your coconut oil until it is liquid.
2. Once the skillet is ready, place a roti in the middle of the hot pan.
3. When you start seeing small air bubbles puff up, flip the roti and brush some coconut oil over the cooked side.
4. If it puffs up or develops big bubbles, you know it is ready to flip. If you have your skillet on a lower heat, it may not puff up very much, so just keep an eye on the roti so it doesn’t burn. Brush some more oil on the other side after flipping.
5. Flip once more so both sides get a chance to cook with the oil added, then set aside on a clean plate, cover again (or use a tortilla warmer if you have one), and repeat until all the roti have been cooked. The best roti is one hot off the griddle, but covering them keeps them soft too.
6. Finally, serve hot and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this simple vegan roti recipe! Happy cooking!