By Ishana Aidroos
NANIROTI 
My family is not the only one whose roti recipe goes back generations. Every Indian family, whether from the north or the south, the east or the west, makes roti. Roti is an Indian flatbread, a staple with simple ingredients and simple taste. Roti is nothing special. Just water and flour. That’s it. Until that is, Nani added her own special touch.  
In the early 1960s, my Nani (Hindi for “mother’s mother”) moved to Canada. Here in Canada, she owned a fridge, a luxury that would have cost her an arm and a leg back in India. Because of this, Nani changed the roti recipe.  Instead of using water like in the original recipe, Nani substituted it with milk and yogourt, which she could store in her new fridge. These new ingredients made it tastier and healthier. They were simple, but made the roti as soft as a cloud. When the final piping hot, buttery roti was placed on a plate, it felt like I was tasting a warm embrace. Nani continued making her version of roti for decades later, but it was only after I was born that “Naniroti” got its name. I can’t remember exactly how this name came to be. It's Nani’s roti. Naniroti. From then on, the name stuck.  

I was around 5 years old when I started cooking with Nani. Every time she would visit Ottawa, she would always come with ready-made atta (dough) for Naniroti, and every time I visited Montreal, I would ask to make it with her. Her answer was always “yes”. It didn’t matter where we were making the Naniroti as long as we made it together. It was always just the two of us in the kitchen. I had always grown up sharing everything with my sister, so it felt really good to have a special activity that Nani and I could do together, just the two of us. It created a strong, intimate bond that only we have. Making Naniroti together was an activity that made me feel not only connected to Nani, but connected to my heritage. Although I had never met my family in India before, it made me feel like we had known each other for years. It made me feel proud to be Indian.  

Every Indian family, whether from the north or the south, the east or the west, makes roti. But my family is the only family in the world who makes Naniroti.

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RECIPE:
Ingredients needed (makes approximately 8-10 rotis):
  • Atta flour - 2 cups
  • Yogourt - 2 tablespoons *
  • Milk -  1 cup*
  • Butter
  • Salt - 1/4  teaspoon
*Note: These are the approximate measurements needed to make atta dough. Quantity may vary.   

Materials needed:
  • Rolling pin
  • Skillet
  • Stove 
  • Parchment paper
  • Large bowl 
  • Spatula (optional-- can use hands)
  • Clean kitchen towel


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DIRECTIONS:
Part 1 - Making the atta (dough):
  1. In a large bowl, combine atta flour with salt.  
  2. Add milk and yogourt. Alternate between gradually adding milk and/or yogourt and kneading the dough. (Stop adding ingredients if the dough sticks together and is soft.)
  3. If dough has not stuck together by this point, continue gradually adding milk or yogourt until at the right consistency (dough sticks together and is soft).
  4. Wrap dough in parchment paper. 
  5. Ideally leave dough at room temperature for 3-4 hours OR wait 4+ and leave in the fridge. Do not leave it in the fridge for multiple days.
Part 2 - Making the roti:
  1. If the dough has just been in the fridge (see part 1, step 5), let it sit on the counter until it returns to room temperature. If at room temperature, proceed to step 2. 
  2. Lightly dust some flour on your kitchen counter as well as your rolling pin.
  3. Place some atta dough in your hand and roll it to create a circular shape (approx. 6 cm in diameter and 2 cm in height, however size may vary) on your flour-covered surface. Atta dough may start to stick to the surface or rolling pin; add atta flour on dough if needed. 
  4. Evenly roll until the roti is approximately two centimeters thick. 
  5. Turn on stove to medium heat.
  6. Put a teaspoon of butter on the pan, let it melt.
  7. Place the roti on the pan. Flip and cook each side until golden-brown. Some brown spots are normal. 
  8. Ideally, the roti should puff up during step 6. If this happens, gently press down on the sides. of the air pocket with spatula or clean cloth. 
  9. Take the roti off the pan once it is finished cooking.
  10. Finish roti by spreading as much butter as desired on the roti’s surface.
  11. Wrap in a towel to keep warm, or serve immediately. 
  12. Repeat steps 2 - 11 until no dough remains. 
  13. Typically eaten with dal, lentils or curries. Enjoy!


 

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