I make Soft Butter Rotis almost every week and yet I don’t have a recipe on my blog. What’s wrong with me! Finally I have taken some photos and my recipe is ready to be posted. If you are South African you will know it’s “blasphemous” to make a roti anything other than soft…haha!
As you will know if you have been reading my posts, I was raised in a South Indian home. Roti was not a staple in our home so it took me a lot of trial and error to get my roti to perfection. I remember the days my hubby cringed when I made rotis. It was too thick, too thin, too hard, some days like rubber, other days rock hard….Lol! I can safely say I have finally passed the test.
You know they say “practice makes perfect”. I have watched my mum-in-law make them and I have asked her a million questions so I never fail again. She is quite the expert at making rotis. Nothing is measured either. I am proud to say I have also reached that level of expertise, I no longer measure my ingredients when making these Soft Butter Rotis. However, that too comes with patience and loads of practice.
If you read my little post on roti making, you will find a few helpful tips. Firstly, your water has to be freshly boiled straight out the kettle. Depending on where you live and the weather you may require less than a cup of water. You can use butter or oil, doesn’t make a difference. I have tried them both and they work equally well. Your dough will feel a little sticky at first but as you knead the dough will become silky smooth. I usually don’t add salt to my dough but you can add a pinch if you wish.
Perfectly round rotis are only achieved by starting with a neat ball of dough. If you start with a great foundation you will achieve a great final product. I personally love the rotating rolling pins, it works well for me. My rotis are perfectly round when I use this rolling pin as I feel that I can roll my dough with ease. But you can use any rolling pin that you are comfortable with. You must also dust your surface with flour, the dough is soft so you need the flour to help you roll it out.
If you have the time you can cover your dough with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for half an hour, that’s guaranteed to give you perfectly soft rotis. I don’t usually have time for this but one day I had an emergency and couldn’t finish up my roti-making and when I got back to finish them I had the softest rotis.
I also mentioned in my post about roti making about not having to knead your dough too much. The most I’ve kneaded my dough for is about 2 minutes and this works perfectly well as long as you get a smooth silky dough.
If you do try this recipe please drop me a note, I would love to hear how it turned out
Soft Butter Rotis : South African Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups/500ml cake wheat flour sifted
- 4 tbsp melted butter plus extra for brushing the rotis
- 1 cup/250ml boiling water
- pinch of salt optional
Instructions
- Sift the flour. Add the melted butter
- Pour the cup of boiling water into the flour
- Mix it into the flour using a fork or spoon. You will have a wet, lumpy mixture.
- Mixture would have cooled down a little. Knead into a soft dough. The dough will feel a little sticky but as you knead the dough will become silky smooth.
- If the dough doesn't feel soft you can drizzle in a little more butter and keep kneading
- Heat a non-stick pan or thawa on the stovetop on medium heat. You may need to adjust your heat if the pan gets too hot
- Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a neat round ball
- Flatten the dough with the palm of your hands. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface. You can add more flour as you are rolling to prevent the dough from sticking
- Roll out into a circle, about 20cm in diameter
- Place the roti on the pan. Cook until it starts to bubble a little
- Flip it over. Cook until the other side bubbles. Brush with butter and turn over again.
- Brush the other side with butter and turn over. You will be flipping your roti over 3 times. Takes about a minute or less to cook the roti
- To keep rotis soft place them in a container with paper towel at the bottom and more on top of the rotis
Notes
- Depending on the altitude and weather you may require less or more water. If you have added all the water and the dough is far too sticky add a little more flour immediately and knead
- As you make rotis a few times you will get a feel for what the dough should look like and therefore it will be easier to judge the amount of water required
- Roti making is tricky at first but it gets better with practice
Beautiful
Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much, made rooties for the first time and may I say it was fabulous. You are a great chef, can you please post how to make easy koeksisters.thank you
Thank you Tanya! So glad your first time worked out so well. I will try and post a koeksister recipe shortly. Take Care:-)
Tried this and they came out perfect.
Thank you so much Linda:-)
Made these last night. They took me 5 minutes and were the yummiest roti’s I’ve ever had. Can’t stress how easy this was! Thank you, Lorraine. I will never, ever be buying store bought again!
Lindsey
After trying very involved and unsuccessful recipes; I was pleasantly surprised by this simple and successful one! Thanks!
After a few dismal attempts at other involved recipes, I was pleasantly surprised by this simple and successful one. Thank you!
Thank you so much Erika. I am so glad the recipe worked for you. Stay Safe 🙂
Just tried this recipe today. Best Best Recipe… I put extra 2 spoons of butter and I was very happy. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you so much Nande 🙂
Never tried these before and they came out well.
Thank you
Nice explicit instructions.
Very yummy
Thank you so much Liz. So glad I could help you and the instructions made a difference. Stay Safe:-)
This Recipe is so quick and easy to make. Clear instructions coupled with images really help alot for a novice like myself. Thank you for the share.
Oh my word thank you so much it was easy to make and the whole family was pleased with the taste❤
Thank you so much Siphiwokuhle. So pleased that your family enjoyed it. Take care:-)
Oh my word.. I cannot explain how impressed I am with how the roti turned out. It was my first attempt ever, i was always too scared to try it always looked to complicated. I actually halved the recipe as I was too sceptical but I actually ended up making another batch. Thank you this recipe was awesome.
Hi, I tried this recipe today and they came out fine. My dough was very sticky though, even after kneading a few times adding bits of flour and leaving it to rest for a while. Is it supposed to sticky and tough?
Hi Raylene! Roti making is a little tricky. I normally suggest that people don’t add all of the water at once. You will see in a lot of my posts I talk about altitude and how the weather affects the amount of liquid we need in our baking/cooking. The amount of water I used here in JHB may differ to the amount people near the coast would use. So I suggest you use your discretion, reduce the amount of water and see what works for you. The dough is not supposed to be sticky, after kneading it should be really soft but not stick to your hands. Sorry it didn’t work this time. Hope you have better luck next time. Stay safe:-)
Hi just made mine and its was awesome couldn’t believe myself and it was my first making it well thanks a lot for your help I’ll be looking out for more of your chef skills❤❤❤
Thank you Kezia and you most welcome. Well done on your first attempt. Take Care:-)
Thank you so much Michelle! It warms my heart that so many people have had so much success with their roti making skills. Especially since I couldn’t make rotis to save my life a few years ago. So glad you enjoyed it. Take Care:-)
My family loved them, so quick, having another go tonight with home made
Chicken tikka curry, hopefully they will be just as good second time round🤞
Thank you
Thank you. I am sure it will be great this time too:-)
This is the best recipe ever thank you so much I enjoyed my soft roti
Thank you so much Idah. I am so glad the recipe worked for you. Take Care:-)
The best recipe ever….first try ever, being a roti girl – i have perfected puri but today i tried roti for the first time………beyond amazed……sharing the recipe with everyone
Thank you so much Ingrid. I am a South Indian girl so it’s my pleasure teaching you how to make roti. The battle has been won…haha! Take Care:-)
Can I use Rama if I don’t have butter in my house. How do I warm it for reuse?
Hi Mimi! Yes you can use margarine or oil if you wish. If you need to reheat, you can microwave them or pop them back on a pan and heat on the stove top. Take Care:-)
Hi there. is this dough ready for the pan straight away or does it have to sit over night?
Hi Nakita! The dough is ready to be cooked straight away,doesn’t sit overnight. You can cover it with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to stand for 30 minutes if you wish.
Thank u wat a simple recipe, I tried for the first time it came out perfectly, my family loved it.
Thank you so much Monica. Makes me happy to hear they turned out perfect and your family loved it. Take Care:-)
Fab recipe, thank you so much. It really was as easy as you said. I did choose to leave mine to rest for a couple of hours. First time ever, and apart from a few shape issues 😉 they turned out awesome <3
Thank you for the feedback. The shape will come with practice so keep trying. Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Stay Safe:-)
Ive made rotis using your recipe and they came out soft and fluffy. Thank you
Thank you so much Bongiwe. I am happy to hear that they turned out great. You take care:-)
Hi Lorraine. Can the rotis be prepared, frozen, and then cooked at a later stage?
Hi Tebogo. I do not recommend freezing the raw dough, however you can cook them and then freeze. You will need to stack them between some plastic or clingwrap before freezing the rotis. When you are ready to use, thaw them and re-heat in a pan. They will be as good as fresh. Stay Safe:-)
Thank you for your response Lorraine. Freezing the rotis after cooking them makes sense.
Can I use all purpose flour?
Hi Emma! Yes you can
Great recipe – easy, quick, fantastic results. Thank you Lorraine.
Thank you so much Stephen 🙂
Thanks Lorraine, it is as simple as it is to read the recipe and it turned out spot on. I’m busy with my 2nd batch as my two daughters thoroughly loved them and requested more.
Do you know if l had to refrigerate some dough in a sealed Tupperware if it would keep for a day or three?
Hi Peter! Thank you for your message. I have seen people mention that the dough can be refrigerated in an oiled container. However, I have never tried this myself. For me the best way to keep a batch of extra rotis is to cook them, stack them between plastic or cling wrap and freeze. Reheat them in the pan as you need them, they will be as good as fresh. Hope this helps. Stay Safe:-)
What a pleasant experience making your soft rotis. Thanks for a really great method and explanation.
Thank you so much Thirusha 🙂
What a great recipe, very easy to follow with fantastic results. Made these to go with a mince and pea curry I made and the family thoroughly enjoyed them. Getting perfect circles wasn’t as easy as I thought but the taste more than made up for the looks. Thank you for this, it was my first time making rotis but certainly not the last!
Thank you Nonkululeko, I appreciate your kind comments. Happy to hear that it turned out well for you. Stay Safe:-)
Thank you very much i tried roti yesterday it was very soft and tasty.
Thank you Gloria 🙂
Thanks so much for the recipe on the roti.. it was so easy and came out so soft.. this lockdown has really made me try out so many things that would usually be bought. NO MORE STORE BOUGHT ROTI FOR ME!!!!
Thank you Shonnel. It warms my heart to see so many people actually cooking and spending time in the kitchen. Nothing beats home cooked meals so I am glad I could share my knowledge with you. Wishing you many more happy days in the kitchen. Stay Safe:-)
I’ve tried a few roti recipes before but somehow they weren’t quite right. Decided during lock down that it was the time to perfect my skills. I needn’t have worried. Your recipe was so simple, quick and easy I didn’t actually need any skills. Dough was perfect but I allowed it to stand for about half an hour just to make rolling easier. Whilst my shapes weren’t that perfect roundness of my mums my roti’s turned out beautiful and soft. Something I’ve never managed to achieve in a good many years. Thanks a stack for a perfect roti recipe!
Thank you so much Ash, never would I have ever imagined that I would create the perfect roti recipe. Especially since I was the worst roti maker. I am so glad that I am able to share my knowledge from my own trials and errors. Stay Safe:-)
I had mentally prepared myself that I would NOT be able to make the perfect roti, and then they came out just perfect! Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe with the rest of us. Making such great rotis really made my day.
Thank you so much Esmare. I think we’ve all had our fears when trying roti for the first time, trust me I have been there. I’m so glad you got it right. Many more happy Roti making 🙂
We’re making these tonight for the leftover curry from last night. Such a simple recipe and fun to make together. (We did have leftover rice that we would have had the curry with instead, but felt like a meal with a little more pizzazz.) My partner has whipped up a salsa and a mint yoghurt to accompany it all. Thanks!
Thank you Terri! Yes it is fun to make them together. My hubby often helps me cook them whilst I roll them out. I won’t trust him to get them round so it’s best he sticks to cooking them…haha! Hope you have an amazing dinner with loads of pizzazz:-)
Please is normal baking flour same as wheat flour and if not can normal baking flour be used.i want to try it this recipe but i don’t know the difference in the flour. Thank you
Hi Anita! Yes it is normal cake flour or all purpose flour, here in SA we call it cake wheat flour. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the great recipe…really was helpful and, quick and easy
Thank you so much Teneal:-)
It was my first time making roties, and oh how fun it was. It tasted divine and was also really quick and easy to make. Thank you so much 😀
Please post a koeksister recipe 😊
Thank you Monique. Glad you fun making rotis. I will work on that koeksister recipe and post soon:-)
You have inspired me to make roti tonight. I use a kenwood chef when making mine. When the dough hooks into one ball around the dough hook, I know that I have added the right amount of water.
Perfect, glad you found a way to make life easy and thanks for sharing. So many people are not fortunate enough to have an electric mixer it’s why I posted a recipe using your hands. I have an amazing mixer too but I still prefer the old-fashioned way, kneading by hand. Unless,it’s a really sticky dough. Have a great day:-)
Such an easy recipe and the results were perfect. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Alison 🙂
I tried the recipe for the first time with the help of my 3 year old son. It was easy to make and the taste was just too good and soft . We enjoyed it with mince curry. Thank you for the recipe
Thank you so much Tha. I’m sure it was joy making them with your 3-year-old 🙂
Marvelous.
Tried this recipe for the first time and they came out great. I’ve always been reluctant to try roti out but I am glad that when I finally did try it out, I had your help.
Thank you Londiwe! Happy to hear that your first roti making experience was a good one. Happy to have helped 🙂
Was a great and simple recipe loved lots of helpful tips
Thank you so much Zakareeyaa 🙂
This is the first time I tried making roti after a failed attempt more than 20 years ago. Thank you for sharing your recipe. My roti came out soft and delicious. I don’t think that I will ever buy roti at the shops again 😘
Thank you Kubeshnie. Glad you finally found a recipe that works:-)
First time making roti in my life. Used this recipe, rested the dough for 30min just in case, turned out so well! Thank you!
There’s always a first Masego, so glad yours will be a memorable one. Thank you so much:-)
What a fabulous recipe! I’ve tried roti before and failed – this time they were an effortless success! Added about half a cup of sourdough starter in place of some of the water and flour – mostly because I’m trying to find uses for my discard! It worked well and I think helped the dough keep supple. So happy to have found a simple, easy and successful recipe for a favourite side dish!
Thank you so much Laura. Great way to use your discard. I still haven’t plucked up the courage to try a sourdough starter and I think more because I don’t have the patience. So well done to you. Take Care:-)
Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience with us, Lorraine! I am beyond excited that about this success in the kitchen. Made your recipe for the second time today. So quick and easy, and my parents love them.
Thank you so much Ruby. So happy to share everything I have learnt through my own trials and error. Take Care:-)
I have tried this and my family wanted more I did again still perfected it thank you so much for sharing your experience with my family
Thank you Wandi. I am so pleased that the recipe is working well for you. Take Care:-)
Found the recipe this morning and tried it at lunch. Roti came out lovely and soft on my first attempt. Thanks for this!
Thank you Leantha 🙂
I’ve been looking for a South African roti recipe forever, so you can believe my joy when I found this simple and easy one. I used to make rotis with my Aaji as a young child and over the years forgot this recipe. After trying this, it reminded me of my childhood and my rotis came out round the first time around! To my surprise. If I could give this recipe more stars I would. Will definitely try the Diwali recipes, as I moved to Cape Town, sweet meats at a reasonable prices are hard to find and I cannot wait to try your Diwali recipes. Will definitely let you know how it goes 🙂
Thank you so much Jasmine, it warms my heart to hear you say this. So glad you found a recipe that reminds you of those happy memories. Take Care:-)
It came out very great! Thankyou , this is the 4tt time and all of the 3 times it was hard as stone with other people recipe haha , but the 4th time (your recipe) was heaven 🥰
Thank you so much Kay! I am so happy to hear you finally had success with your rotis. Take Care:-)
Super yummy!!Do you have a recipe for milktart ???
Thank you so much Emily! Yes I do, will post the recipe shortly. Take Care:-)
Best roti I’ve ever had and made, thanks to you 😁 Thank you for sharing such a simple, amazing recipe
Thank you so much Carla, i appreciate the feedback:-)