Soft phulka recipe, how to puff roti, chapati that stays soft for long time. Stepwise photos, video. With tips and tricks for perfect results.
It’s easy
I don’t know about you all, but I learnt this puffing in direct flame very recently when I saw my friend Sangeeta making, when we visited her place once. Before that I knew puffing a roti, but in tawa itself.
That procedure is time consuming than this. When we saw her making right from making dough till puffing, myself and the other friend, both of us were awed.
She made it look like so simple, that we didn’t get scared to try, but we were very eager to try and see. We did tried and we now get a good result, for sure 😃. All the credit goes to Sangeeta.
As clicking the roti when it puffs in direct flame was quite challenging and definitely needs a tripod and all those accessories to click that frame. So I can’t do justice to the picture, but I thought of sharing video, which will be helpful for the beginners.
My notes
There is a debate over if directly cooking over gas flame is harmful which I recently came to know. Well if you are in doubt, go for tawa method.
To puff a roti over tawa, use a thin tawa, same procedure. But instead of placing over direct flame, just make sure to flip and cook on high flame in a super hot tawa which makes it puff.
Also key to perfect puffing roti over tawa is to making dough moist enough.
Top tip
For soft phulka, the method you need to follow are simple:
- Make a soft pliable dough. Knead really well after resting the dough. Resting and kneading helps in bringing gluten out of the wheat and gives soft results.
- Make use of stand mixer or a dough kneader if you have one. They give such a soft pliable dough with un believable results.
- If you are going for the old school way, just knead well. I like to use gloves which makes it fast and tidy.
- Do not over do on dusting. I mean you can be generous, but shake off those excess flour. Otherwise your phulka will look so dry and pale.
- Each time while you dust, make sure to smear your roti with hands to evenly distribute the dusting flour.
- Size and thickness of the roti matters. When you are directly cooking over flame, do not over do on both of these
👩🍳 Perfect results
The tawa – Invest on a good quality roti tawa and keep it dedicated to it. My method is zero oil. If you add oil while cooking you cant puff it.
Heat – If you make too many rotis, the tawa gets too hot which will make the roti stick to the pan. This will also affect puffing. So in regular intervals, make sure to cool the temperature by giving a break or splashing some water. Make sure to keep the flame low if needed.
Rolling – While rolling, do not let it get folded. Patiently roll out seamlessly. Otherwise if there is folded portion, it wont puff as well.
My friend says, for soft phulka, you should flip only twice. The top potion (which we cook less) should go directly over the flame. Not the other side which we flip and let golden spots appear.
The key is cooking it half way and let layer form over direct flame. If it is not cooked evenly and properly half way through, then it wont puff.
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Recipe card
Soft phulka recipe | Roti recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Wheat flour Atta
- Salt As needed
- ½ cup Water You wont need fully
Instructions
- Firstly, take flour, salt and mix well in a bowl.
- Add water gradually and mix using fingers.
- Make a soft single mass of dough. Keep covered for 10 to 15 mins.
- Again knead the dough to make it smooth. The dough should be soft and pliable, not hard or sticky.
- If it is too tight, wet your hands with water and knead until it is soft. Repeat if needed.
- If it is sticky, sprinkle some flour and knead until it non sticky.
- Make 6 equal sized balls out of the dough.
- Roll into thin circles, not too thick. The size should be smaller, this makes the roti to fit into the flame and puff easily.
- Heat the tawa, keep in medium high flame and put the roti.
- Wait till small bubbles form and turn within few seconds, dont let it brown.
- Let the other side gets cooked and gets golden brown spots.
- Now turn again and using a tong, put over the flame directly (High flame). The side which we didn't browned too much should be under the flame.
- Wait till it puffs and take it out and brush it with ghee if desired.
Video
Notes
- Keep the dough covered all the time and prevent drying.
- Store the made roti/ phulka in hot pack or covered in a towel in a basket.
Stepwise method
1. Firstly, take flour, salt and mix well in a bowl. Add water gradually and mix using fingers. Make a soft single mass of dough. Keep covered for 10 to 15 mins.
2. Again knead the dough to make it smooth. The dough should be soft and pliable, not hard or sticky.
3. If it is too tight, wet your hands with water and knead until it is soft. Repeat if needed.
4. If it is sticky, sprinkle some flour and knead until it non sticky.
5. Make equal sized balls out of the dough. I made more so you will see many below. For one cup, you can make 6 phulkas.
6. Roll into thin circles, not too thick. The size should be smaller, this makes the roti to fit into the flame and puff easily.
7. Heat the tawa, keep in medium high flame and put the roti.
8. Wait till small bubbles form and turn within few seconds, don’t let it brown. Let the other side gets cooked and gets golden brown spots.
9. Now turn again and using a tong, put over the flame directly (High flame). The side which we didn’t browned too much should be under the flame.
Wait till it puffs and take it out and brush it with ghee if desired.
Serve soft phulka with your favorite sabji or gravy.
Fluffing roti looks outstanding!! unfortunately i cant do coz i have electric stove..am so sad..Lovely side dishes Raks!
Thanks Raji,
Gr8 videos day by day ur way for presenting is appreciable… keep up the gud work
Nice post gal…pics are cool
nice presentation.If we r used to this it is very easy.i always make roti in this way. even if i dont ghee or oil it will be soft for a longer time.
Thanks a lot ..Thats really useful and i understood wat's my mistake .Next time i'll sure make a puffed roti and show the pics to u:) U really help me a lot !!Thanks a ton dearie !!
Those rotis look very soft…here I do have a gas stove…I simply have to try this…thanks for the step by step procedures dear 🙂
Rotis look perfect! We too make them directly on gas 🙂
Thanks for the video, I've always tried puffing rotis and failed in it….will try ur method!
these are perfect!! I find it simpler to make rotis like this – on direct flame …I can't manage to make them on the tawa!!
excellent….thanks for the video….
lovely presentation, i call them pulkas, i almost make them every day, as i don't want use oil in my chapatis, i learnt it from my sisters, the northern part of indians are great with this…, its a good post, as lot of them do not know how to make it…
wow nice phulkas,I just dnt seem to get it right.
very well explained and nice pictures too raks….and pls come and collect the award from my blog…
Lovely puffy and soft roti.Sadly I have an electric stuff 🙁
raji, it looks soooo soft and i feel so sad because i dont have gas stove.mine is the ceramic top and it sucks! 🙂
Hey, that was really useful. well explained with nice pics and videos.
Looks awesome! I have an electric stove, so I love to go to my mom's and make roti's… using the flame is so much easier… they always puff perfectly!
It is such a thing of beauty and achievement to see roti puffed up 🙂
Looks soft & delicious.. nice entry.. nice clicks..
Wow! soo happy to seee ur puffing roti /pulka.Pic r awesome !
pulkas have come out perfect! We too like hot fluffy phulkas.
Delicious puffing rotis and curries dear!
Wow you present things step by step, even a novice can cook seeing your posts. Lovely side dishes.
good one! very informative.. I never get soft chapathis when I use it in tava.. direct flame is what I prefer, except that little mess it makes on the stove.. 🙂
nice pics..
Wow fluffy and soft rotis. Nice pics.
wow i make them too.I learned from my relative in hyde. But its more like pulka. Urs looks so fluffy n soft. Nice pics n video. Good job!
you will not believe, just yesterday night i had an failed attempt in making these phulkas..i will try your method tonight and let you know..thanks to your SIL for asking you to share this recipe. 🙂
we need little practice to make these. One you learn the art, it is a breeze to make. Your pictures inspire me a lot. Which camera do you have?
nice post…pictures are simply superb..
@Shush, Nikon40DX
very well presented…
we use to call them bufff roti in my childhood looks so soft and lovely spread Rak s every thing looks yum.
wow…roti looks so soft…i used to do when i was in CA but here electric stove:(
I've never made a roti in my life, but if I ever decide that I need to start, I'll come here.:)
You should start a cooking class, lady.:)
awesome… looks soo delicious… wonderful clicks!!
Wonderful presentation. Looks too soft.
This post is a treasure dear. I too , don't know the correct procedure till u post it. Great job done.
Thanks for sending me those entries.
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Please accept gift from my blog 🙂
you have great patience to take step by step pictures dear looks great !!
kindly pls collect ur award from my blog dear !!
The pics look like the pillsbury atta ad:)My mom mentions that Pillsbury atta is great but I can't seem to find it here:(
First time on your blog dear…Lovely clicks in macro of the rotis…Keep up the great work..
Shobha
I used to be able to do this… have completely lost touch 🙂 your rotis look awesome
Puffed roti looks great..:)
Wow looks puffy and soft rotis… Nice picture and explanation. Yummy………
Phulkas looks delicious & mouthwatering. nice presentation.
Soft rotis with any main dish is an excellent and fulfilling meal.
i follow this method too. bought a fluffer this time in bombay, can't wait to try it.
lovely roti..nice instructions..Please do check my blog for my First cooked food event….do participate in it
Wow…those are awesomely fluffed roti's…..When i was small, in some ad i saw that stove top method and when my mom was amking chapatis i directly flipped the chapti in flame…..not only chapati got burnt…whole burner got dirty…hehehehe….
Happy ganesh chaturthi to you & your family dear 🙂
Rotis look perfect.
Soup 'N Juice Event is going on in my blog.Please do participate in it.
I liked your blog very much. I appreciate for your beautiful presentation of preparing roti.
You are welcome in my blogs.
On gorgeous picture of the Roti on the FLAME!!! I have been wanting to do this post for a long time now, but could not take the pictures. We always have our roti this way.
Soma(www.ecurry.com)
Nicely taken pictures Rajeshwari.
The rotis fluffed up well too. Now Kindly collect your bounty of awards @
http://lata-raja.blogspot.com/2009/08/showered-with-awards.html
Wow Raji.. They look so good.. and the video is taking your tutorials to another level. Good work dear..
Hey Gal…..i m not as lucky as u to do this bcoz i have electric coils :(…the rotis luks so fluffy nd nice….M new to ur blog loved it..wil visiti always…:)
wow nice roties … i have coiled stove can i do the roties in that ???
wow nice roties … i have coiled stove can i do the roties in that ???
Ur blog is awesome… Perfect proportions for recipe. Keep up ur good work 🙂
Hi raks your blog is just fabulous and i cant get myself out of it.. whenever I find time I go thru your recipes all of them!! I tried your method for puffing of roti in direct flame and it came out awesome.. thank you for that.. keep rocking
Saranya
Hi raks your blog is just fabulous and i cant get myself out of it.. whenever I find time I go thru your recipes all of them!! I tried your method for puffing of roti in direct flame and it came out awesome.. thank you for that.. keep rocking
Saranya
Mam. .what type of chapati flour will u buy? ? Only phillsbury or any other?
Please reply mam
I buy pillsburry or ashirvad
Thank you mam
Hi dear, roti looks awesome. Thanks for such a detailed video, it really gives confidence to try it out. I'm very new to kitchen , can u pls give me tips in following two things.
1. Instead of putting directly in flame, how to make soft roti in normal method
2. How to roll chapati, when I roll, it doesn't come out evenly. Do u have any video on that?
Any recommendations on dough kneading appliances in Singapore
I used my Ultra grinder atta kneader attachment earlier for bulk kneading. Now using my panasonic bread maker. Stand mixers like Kitchen Aid also does the job.