Mauritian Roti Recipe - Farata or Paratha (oil-free version)
An oil-free version of the Mauritian traditional roti (or paratha). It is also a popular street food and accompanied by various fillings. Check parts 2 and 3 for the fillings recipes.
240gall-purpose flour[1 1/2 cup] or chapati flour, you may also use atta flour but you will need to adjust the water
200mlboiling hot wateradjust with 1-2 tablespoons depending on flour type
More flour for dusting
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour. Make a well in the centre and carefully pour in the hot water. With the help of a spoon, stir the mixture to combine the flour and water. Keep mixing as much as possible to start forming a dough.
Once the mixture is a little cooler and comfortable to handle by hand, start to knead it into a supple dough. At this stage, you can either add a little more flour if the dough is sticky or a little water if it is too dry.
Once a soft and non-sticky dough is obtained, smooth it into a ball and place it back into the mixing bowl.
Cover with a lid or tea towel and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile you can start to prepare some of the ingredients for the upcoming curry and rougaille recipes.
After 15 minutes, knead the dough for a couple of minutes. Then roll it out into a log and cut into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece in the palm of your hands to form a nice smooth ball then flatten it. Lightly press all around the edge then dip in a bowl of flour to completely coat the dough with the flour. Set the floured dough aside and do the same for the rest of the dough pieces.
On a floured board, place one piece of dough and begin to roll out. Try to keep a more or less circle shape and roll out to about 2 mm thick.
Then at this stage, you can brush the surface of the flatten dough with a thin coat of oil, if you want, before folding it. Otherwise, fold 1/3 of the circle of dough toward the centre and fold the opposite edge over to form a long rectangle. Now fold, the two shorter ends toward the centre to form a square.
Repeat for the rest of the dough. Keep all the dough pieces and folded ones covered while you are working on the rest so that they don't dry out.
Now take the folded dough parcel and place on a floured board. Begin to roll out to about 2 - 3 mm thick. The shape will more or less remain square which is one of the characteristic of the farata.
Place the rolled out farata onto a floured plate and continue with the rest flouring them between each layer so that they do not stick to one another. If you are making a bigger batch of roti, I do not recommend that you stack more than 10 as with time, the gluten will relax further and the rotis at the bottom will start to stick to one another.
Before starting to cook the faratas, turn the whole stack over so that you may start with the first rolled out roti.
Make sure the tawa or crepe pan is hot and the heat kept on medium-high. You may need to adjust the heat later if the pan gets too hot. Allow the roti to cook for about 30 seconds on one side and then flip over and cook for another 30 seconds until it starts to bubble. Then flip it over again and it will start to puff up. Gently press on the side of the puff to push and distribute the air inside the roti for a more even puffing.
Then remove the roti from the pan and place on a plate. Keep the roti covered with a clean tea towel to keep it soft.
Cook the rest of the rotis and stack them on top of one another. Occasionally flip the stack over. This will keep the freshly cooked ones soft with the steam.
Video
Notes
These rotis are best enjoyed fresh and on the same day.Link to original recipe - Mauritian Roti (Farata/Paratha) Recipe - https://veganlovlie.com/traditional-mauritian-roti-farata-or/