Sada Roti

Directions

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Add water slowly until dough is soft. Mix and knead with your hands until the dough is smooth, medium soft and not sticky, 3 to 4 mins. Cover and set aside at room temperature for at least 15 – 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into four equal balls. Ensure the dough balls are smooth and devoid of cracks and blemishes. Cover the dough balls with a cloth and let rest for a minimum of 5-10 minutes. 
• When you are ready to cook the roti, heat the tawa, dry cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot. 
• Working with one ball of dough at a time (keep the remaining dough covered) and using just enough flour to prevent sticking to counter and rolling pin, press the dough into a small flat circle(about 4 inches). Using the rolling pin, roll the dough. Flip, rotate and roll until it becomes an even 9 inch round, ¼ inch thick, making sure that the edges are not thick.
• Pick up the dough, place it on the palm of your hand and lay it on the tawa by quickly flipping your hand over the tawa. Cook until small bubbles appear on the roti, about 30 seconds. Turn immediately using your fingers or a spatula and cook until the bottom is lightly browned in spots, about 45-60 seconds more.
• Flip again and cook until the roti puffs entirely or in spots and browns lightly on that side, 45-60 seconds more (if it doesn’t puff, the tawa isn’t hot enough, the dough is too dry, or you cooked it too long on the first side).
• Alternatively, using a cloth move tawa to expose open flame and toast edges of roti; rotating roti over the flame every two seconds, until the entire roti puffs up(roti should not touch flame but sit about an inch or two above it). You may need to flip roti and toast the other side also to “make the roti swell”—puff up…It does not puff up every time, but it is just as good.
• Remove the roti from the tawa, dust off excess flour and wrap the roti immediately in a clean, dry cloth or kitchen towel.
• Repeat rolling out and cooking the remaining dough, stacking and wrapping the finished roti in a clean kitchen cloth/towel. Once they’re all cooked, let them rest covered for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. During this time, they’ll steam themselves, becoming soft and pliable. You can also wrap the cloth-wrapped stack in foil and keep warm in a 200°F oven for about an hour.