Kitchen utensils from yesteryear have constantly changed through the ages. The rolling pin is one of our historical treasure today that has not changed over the years as much as many other tools we use today. A rolling pin is a cylindrical food preparation utensil used to shape and flatten dough. The art of making flat-bread began thousand years ago. Roti has become the generic name for Indian Breads and is the most basic Indian food. This food is regarded as one of the staple diets of India and is mostly based on stoneground whole-wheat flour. Its defining characteristic is that it is unleavened. Roti and its thinner variant, known as chapatti, are an integral part of Indian cuisine and can be enjoyed with any vegetable or curry. It is particularly popular in northern India, Central India and Western India.
In Indian cooking the rolling pin is used along with chaklas to make roti. Chaklas are round flat platforms made of marble or wood on which the dough for chapattis are rolled with the help of the rolling pin.
Two years ago when I was about to get married I was busy collecting all the household items I’d need to set up a new home in U.S. As my mother and I sat down packing things day before my travel, we realized that I didn't have a rolling pin. At the time it certainly didn’t occur to me as a big deal. But my mother insisted on having one and she handed me one of her rolling pin along with the platform. She seemed pretty adamant about it. Now I realize the importance of this tool and can’t imagine a day of cooking without it. It’s one of my most regularly used kitchen tool.
It is very fascinating to see how Indian women deftly handle the thin rolling pins, turning a ball of dough into evenly rolled, thin, flat and perfectly round breads in a matter of seconds. It is an art that they master over the years and learn since teenage from elder family members.
There is actually no shortcut of making perfectly round chapattis. It requires lot of patience and experience. Chapattis are not difficult to make but like the old saying goes "Practice makes one perfect". Initially you might be put down by the odd and ugly shapes you create from using the rolling pin. Added, even the dough is not uniformly thin and the chapattis turn out tough and non-palatable. I remember (with great amusement) the time when I first started making chapattis, they would often turn out shaped like the map of some obscure country and as tough as shoe leather! As the rolling of the pin is an art so is the kneading of the dough. Making the dough of right softness so as to render good stretchiness in the chapattis is a key factor. Too dry of the dough, and the Chapattis would simply fall apart or dry out; on the other hand, too soft dough would just keep sticking to the pin.
Using this tool in my day-to-day life connects me back to my traditions and makes me feel proud of my cultural values. Also, it strengthens my love for my family.
Ingredients: (Makes approx 12 rotis)
Whole Wheat Flour (Chapati Flour) – 2 cups
Salt – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Oil – 4 tsp
Warm Water – 3/4 cup
Some whole-wheat flour – for rolling and dusting
Method:
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix Chapati Flour and Salt well.
2. Add Oil and mix until all lumps are gone.
3. Add Warm Water little at a time to form a medium soft dough ball. Do not overwork the dough.
4. Add few drops of Oil and coat the dough ball. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. Heat pan on medium heat.
6. Knead the dough once and divide into golf ball size balls.
7. Dip one ball into the flour to coat and roll it out into a thin disc. Keep dipping the dough into the dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface.
8. Shake or rub off excess flour from the roti and place it onto the hot tawa.
9. Flip to the other side once you see bubbles appear on the surface. Allow it to cook for 10-15 seconds.
10. Then flip back to the original side and let it cook for 15 seconds.
11. The roti should puff up.
12. Place the cooked rotli into an insulated container and smear it with Ghee or clarified butter and repeat the process for the remaining dough.
