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    Home » Recipes » Roti

    Soft phulka recipe, How to puff roti over flame

    August 19, 2009 by Raks Anand 69 Comments / Jump to Recipe

    Soft phulka recipe, how to puff roti, chapati that stays soft for long time. Stepwise photos, video. With tips and tricks for perfect results.

    soft roti, phulka
    Jump to:
    • It's easy
    • My notes
    • Top tip
    • 👩‍🍳 Perfect results
    • Related posts
    • Recipe card
    • Stepwise method

    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.

    soft phulka recipe

    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:

    1. 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.
    2. Make use of stand mixer or a dough kneader if you have one. They give such a soft pliable dough with un believable results.
    3. If you are going for the old school way, just knead well. I like to use gloves which makes it fast and tidy.
    4. 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.
    5. Each time while you dust, make sure to smear your roti with hands to evenly distribute the dusting flour.
    6. 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.

    Related posts

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    Goes well with

    • Brinjal sabji
    • Butter paneer masala
    • Peas masala

    Recipe card

    soft roti, phulka
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    Soft phulka recipe | Roti recipe

    How to puff roti and make soft phulka, chapati that stays soft for long time. Stepwise photos, video.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Resting time 10 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 6
    Cup measurements

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Wheat flour Atta
    • Salt As needed
    • ½ cup Water You wont need fully
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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.
    YoutubeDo you like short videos? Subscribe now!
    InstagramMention @rakskitchen or tag #rakskitchen if you have tried this recipe.

    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.

    after gathering

    2. Again knead the dough to make it smooth. The dough should be soft and pliable, not hard or sticky.

    soft, smooth dough

    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.

    divide

    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.

    small bubbles

    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.

    cook otherside

    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.

    puffed

    Wait till it puffs and take it out and brush it with ghee if desired.

    Serve soft phulka with your favorite sabji or gravy.

    soft phulka
    The layers says it all, how soft it is!
    « Oats kanji recipe, oats porridge Indian style
    Adai recipe, How to make adai »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Priya

      August 19, 2009 at 9:31 am

      Fluffing roti looks outstanding!! unfortunately i cant do coz i have electric stove..am so sad..Lovely side dishes Raks!

      Reply
    2. sangeetaskitchen

      August 19, 2009 at 9:36 am

      Thanks Raji,

      Gr8 videos day by day ur way for presenting is appreciable... keep up the gud work

      Reply
    3. Priti

      August 19, 2009 at 9:50 am

      Nice post gal...pics are cool

      Reply
    4. jeyashrisuresh

      August 19, 2009 at 10:02 am

      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.

      Reply
    5. Chitra

      August 19, 2009 at 10:55 am

      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 !!

      Reply
    6. Gita

      August 19, 2009 at 11:38 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
    7. Parita

      August 19, 2009 at 12:43 pm

      Rotis look perfect! We too make them directly on gas 🙂

      Reply
    8. Sharmilee! :)

      August 19, 2009 at 2:14 pm

      Thanks for the video, I've always tried puffing rotis and failed in it....will try ur method!

      Reply
    9. aquadaze

      August 19, 2009 at 2:40 pm

      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!!

      Reply
    10. Sailaja Damodaran

      August 19, 2009 at 3:05 pm

      excellent....thanks for the video....

      Reply
    11. jayasri

      August 19, 2009 at 3:21 pm

      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...

      Reply
    12. n33ma

      August 19, 2009 at 4:08 pm

      wow nice phulkas,I just dnt seem to get it right.

      Reply
    13. Sushma Mallya

      August 19, 2009 at 4:53 pm

      very well explained and nice pictures too raks....and pls come and collect the award from my blog...

      Reply
    14. Yasmeen

      August 19, 2009 at 5:55 pm

      Lovely puffy and soft roti.Sadly I have an electric stuff 🙁

      Reply
    15. Vibaas

      August 19, 2009 at 6:21 pm

      raji, it looks soooo soft and i feel so sad because i dont have gas stove.mine is the ceramic top and it sucks! 🙂

      Reply
    16. Mythreyi Dilip

      August 19, 2009 at 6:29 pm

      Hey, that was really useful. well explained with nice pics and videos.

      Reply
    17. meeso

      August 19, 2009 at 7:41 pm

      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!

      Reply
    18. Cynthia

      August 19, 2009 at 9:05 pm

      It is such a thing of beauty and achievement to see roti puffed up 🙂

      Reply
    19. srikars kitchen

      August 19, 2009 at 9:38 pm

      Looks soft & delicious.. nice entry.. nice clicks..

      Reply
    20. Mangala Bhat

      August 20, 2009 at 3:01 am

      Wow! soo happy to seee ur puffing roti /pulka.Pic r awesome !

      Reply
    21. LG

      August 20, 2009 at 3:35 am

      pulkas have come out perfect! We too like hot fluffy phulkas.

      Reply
    22. Sanghi

      August 20, 2009 at 3:35 am

      Delicious puffing rotis and curries dear!

      Reply
    23. A 2 Z Vegetarian Cuisine

      August 20, 2009 at 3:51 am

      Wow you present things step by step, even a novice can cook seeing your posts. Lovely side dishes.

      Reply
    24. Sujatha

      August 20, 2009 at 3:53 am

      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.. 🙂

      Reply
    25. Jayashree

      August 20, 2009 at 4:01 am

      nice pics..

      Reply
    26. Valarmathi

      August 20, 2009 at 4:37 am

      Wow fluffy and soft rotis. Nice pics.

      Reply
    27. Vijitha Shyam

      August 20, 2009 at 4:43 am

      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!

      Reply
    28. Priya Narasimhan

      August 20, 2009 at 5:07 am

      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. 🙂

      Reply
    29. Sush

      August 20, 2009 at 5:45 am

      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?

      Reply
    30. sowmya

      August 20, 2009 at 7:46 am

      nice post...pictures are simply superb..

      Reply
    31. RAKS KITCHEN

      August 20, 2009 at 7:52 am

      @Shush, Nikon40DX

      Reply
    32. Home Cooked Oriya Food

      August 20, 2009 at 9:20 am

      very well presented...

      Reply
    33. rekhas kitchen

      August 20, 2009 at 11:14 am

      we use to call them bufff roti in my childhood looks so soft and lovely spread Rak s every thing looks yum.

      Reply
    34. priar's,

      August 20, 2009 at 1:11 pm

      wow...roti looks so soft...i used to do when i was in CA but here electric stove:(

      Reply
    35. TBC

      August 20, 2009 at 3:02 pm

      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.:)

      Reply
    36. Hari Chandana

      August 20, 2009 at 3:18 pm

      awesome... looks soo delicious... wonderful clicks!!

      Reply
    37. Cilantro

      August 20, 2009 at 3:52 pm

      Wonderful presentation. Looks too soft.

      Reply
    38. Viki's Kitchen

      August 20, 2009 at 4:52 pm

      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.

      Reply
    39. viki

      August 20, 2009 at 5:13 pm

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Reply
    40. Sireesha

      August 20, 2009 at 7:12 pm

      Please accept gift from my blog 🙂

      Reply
    41. prasukitchen.blogspot.com

      August 20, 2009 at 7:18 pm

      you have great patience to take step by step pictures dear looks great !!
      kindly pls collect ur award from my blog dear !!

      Reply
    42. Shri

      August 21, 2009 at 3:47 am

      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:(

      Reply
    43. Anonymous

      August 21, 2009 at 4:41 am

      First time on your blog dear...Lovely clicks in macro of the rotis...Keep up the great work..

      Shobha

      Reply
    44. Raaga

      August 21, 2009 at 5:42 am

      I used to be able to do this... have completely lost touch 🙂 your rotis look awesome

      Reply
    45. Divya Kudua

      August 21, 2009 at 5:52 am

      Puffed roti looks great..:)

      Reply
    46. Anu

      August 21, 2009 at 5:59 am

      Wow looks puffy and soft rotis... Nice picture and explanation. Yummy.........

      Reply
    47. Srivalli

      August 21, 2009 at 11:59 am

      Phulkas looks delicious & mouthwatering. nice presentation.

      Reply
    48. Lone Acorn

      August 22, 2009 at 6:50 am

      Soft rotis with any main dish is an excellent and fulfilling meal.

      Reply
    49. Nags

      August 24, 2009 at 3:21 am

      i follow this method too. bought a fluffer this time in bombay, can't wait to try it.

      Reply
    50. Shama Nagarajan

      August 24, 2009 at 11:35 am

      lovely roti..nice instructions..Please do check my blog for my First cooked food event....do participate in it

      Reply
    51. Kitchen Flavours

      August 24, 2009 at 12:42 pm

      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....

      Reply
    52. Sireesha

      August 24, 2009 at 3:42 pm

      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.

      Reply
    53. Babli

      August 25, 2009 at 4:47 am

      I liked your blog very much. I appreciate for your beautiful presentation of preparing roti.
      You are welcome in my blogs.

      Reply
    54. Soma

      August 25, 2009 at 3:31 pm

      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)

      Reply
    55. lata raja

      August 25, 2009 at 3:34 pm

      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

      Reply
    56. Hema

      August 25, 2009 at 8:27 pm

      Wow Raji.. They look so good.. and the video is taking your tutorials to another level. Good work dear..

      Reply
    57. Aparna Prabhu

      August 27, 2009 at 11:50 am

      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...:)

      Reply
    58. Harini's Kitchen Corner

      April 20, 2011 at 3:31 am

      wow nice roties ... i have coiled stove can i do the roties in that ???

      Reply
    59. Harini's Kitchen Corner

      April 20, 2011 at 3:31 am

      wow nice roties ... i have coiled stove can i do the roties in that ???

      Reply
    60. Unknown

      September 24, 2012 at 10:25 am

      Ur blog is awesome... Perfect proportions for recipe. Keep up ur good work 🙂

      Reply
    61. Saranya

      June 17, 2014 at 6:46 am

      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

      Reply
    62. Saranya

      June 17, 2014 at 6:50 am

      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

      Reply
    63. Renuka Ambbarees

      September 02, 2014 at 5:09 am

      Mam. .what type of chapati flour will u buy? ? Only phillsbury or any other?

      Reply
    64. Renuka Ambbarees

      September 05, 2014 at 12:19 am

      Please reply mam

      Reply
    65. Raks anand

      September 05, 2014 at 12:24 am

      I buy pillsburry or ashirvad

      Reply
    66. Renuka Ambbarees

      September 09, 2014 at 7:50 am

      Thank you mam

      Reply
    67. Ani Paul

      August 30, 2015 at 5:02 am

      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?

      Reply
    68. Manjula

      June 13, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      Any recommendations on dough kneading appliances in Singapore

      Reply
      • Raks Anand

        June 13, 2021 at 9:59 pm

        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.

        Reply

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    Raks anand

    Hi, I'm Rajeswari Vijayanand! I am the person behind Rakskitchen, sharing recipes with pictures & videos.

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    Raks anand

    Hi, I'm Rajeswari Vijayanand! I am the person behind Rakskitchen, sharing recipes with pictures & videos.

    More about me →

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