Why My Rumali Roti Never Tears When I Fold It

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Make soft, paper-thin Rumali Roti at home with this easy recipe. These delicate handkerchief flatbreads are perfectly pliable and ideal for scooping up your favorite curries.

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Some of you may already know, but growing up, restaurant trips were few but special, and each trip our menu was set. Paneer Makhani, Dal Makhani and Butter Naan… if I got those items, then I was a happy camper. Unfortunately, this did not give me the chance to fully appreciate these breads to their full extent.

My mom, however, loves these soft rotis and she introduced me to this fabulous bread at the restaurant one day! To describe the texture and flavor in one word… it is splendid! These breads are so uniquely pliable, yet there is a bite to it, which tastes wonderful when lathered in your favourite curry sauce.

Butter chicken curry in white bowl with rumali roti and fresh cilantro garnish on white plate.

Traditionally, in restaurants these breads are made of all purpose flour, and I will be using all-purpose flour in this recipe. The most popular technique to prepare this bread is to cook it over an inverted, convex surface. Usually, I use my wok to prepare this, but you can also use an inverted tawa pan. This technique brings this restaurant delicacy to your home kitchen, and you can easily make this!

These rotis can be served with any North Indian style curry or dal/lentil soup. My favourite curries to pair include:

How to Make Indian Handkerchief Bread

Add all the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add oil and slowly start adding milk and begin kneading. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth, but not sticky.

Flour mixed with oil in a stainless steel bowl for rumali roti dough preparation.

Flour and oil mixed together in a metal bowl during dough preparation for rumali roti

Ball of smooth, soft dough resting in a stainless steel bowl.

Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Dough covered with a damp white cloth resting in a stainless steel bowl on a granite countertop

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Using extra flour to prevent sticking, begin rolling out the dough using a rolling pin. Roll into a circle until it is almost translucent. Constantly dusting with extra flour will prevent dough from tearing or sticking.

Hand rolling thin dough into a circle on a floured surface for rumali roti

Rolling out thin rumali roti dough with a wooden rolling pin on a floured surface.

Six balls of divided dough for rumali roti on a floured granite countertop.

In the meanwhile, heat a wok or tawa pan on medium-high heat until hot. Once the pan is hot, invert it upside down and heat for 2 more minutes.

Gently pick up a thinly rolled out flatbread and place on the back of the wok/pan. Using a clean kitchen towel, pat the dough to help with cooking and browning. Alternatively, you can roll the flatbread loosely onto the rolling pin and roll it out onto the pan/wok.

Thin, pale rumali roti cooking on the back of an inverted wok, ready to be patted down with a kitchen towel.

Rumali roti dough being cooked on the back of an inverted wok, showing a thin, pale flatbread with slight browning marks.

Using tongs, check if your bread has brown spots. If so, flip it and repeat pat down on the other side. Using tongs, fold the bread into a half circle and fold it over itself to neatly fold the roti.

Rumali roti being cooked on the back of a wok, patted down with a kitchen towel to develop brown spots.

Dough being patted down on the back of a dark wok with a kitchen towel during rumali roti cooking.

Thin rumali roti dough with holes dotted across surface, wooden rolling pin beside it on gray counter.

Folded rumali roti with golden-brown spots on a gray speckled surface.

Repeat steps 5-6 for remaining dough.

Brush with desi ghee/butter, serve hot, and enjoy!

Two folded rumali rotis on a white plate with a small bowl of orange curry sauce for dipping.

Tips for Making the Best Roomali Roti Recipe

Ensure to warm up the milk slightly before kneading it into the flour. The temperature will help knead a soft, pliable dough which will help you to easily roll the dough paper thin.
Once the dough has formed, let it rest for at least 20 minutes before portioning them out. Resting the dough will help relax the dough which will further help with rolling it out.
Go as thin as you dare. The dinner these handkerchief roti’s are, the softer they become. If you think you have rolled it thin enough, go further! The dough should practically be translucent.
This bread needs to be cooked on indirect heat, from an inverted round bottom wok. The convex of a round wok helps slowly cook the thin dough without making it too crispy. I have linked the wok that I use below, however feel free to use any wok.
To warm up the breads if reheating, wrap the breads in a damp kitchen towel and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. This will help them to remain soft as ever.

It pairs beautifully with a curry like my Punjabi lobia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is rumali roti?▼

Rumali roti is an ultra-thin, soft ‘handkerchief’ roti — traditionally cooked draped over an inverted wok until it’s tissue-thin and pliable.

How do you cook rumali roti without it tearing?▼

Roll it very thin with plenty of dusting flour, then cook it over the back of a hot inverted wok or tawa, patting gently. The thin dough cooks in seconds, so keep a close eye on it.

Why is milk used in the dough?▼

Warm milk makes the dough extra soft and supple, which is what lets you roll it paper-thin without it cracking.

What do you serve with rumali roti?▼

Brush it with ghee and serve it hot alongside rich curries, dals, or kebabs.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Rumali Roti Recipe - Soft and Thin "Handkerchief" Roti

Make soft, paper-thin Rumali Roti at home with this easy recipe. These delicate handkerchief flatbreads are perfectly pliable and ideal for scooping up your favorite curries.

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30 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

40 min

Total

rotis

medium

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

(250 g) all-purpose flour(plus extra for dusting)Shop →
(160 ml) warm milk
(10 ml) olive oilShop →
ghee (to serve) · make your ownShop →

Instructions

1
Add all the flour in a large mixing bowl, add oil and slowly start adding milk and begin kneading. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth, but not sticky.
Add all the flour in a large mixing bowl, add oil and slowly start adding milk and begin kneading. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth, but not sticky.
2
Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
3
Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Using extra flour to prevent sticking, begin rolling out the dough using a rolling pin. Roll into a circle until it is almost translucent. Constantly dusting with extra flour will prevent dough from tearing or sticking.
Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Using extra flour to prevent sticking, begin rolling out the dough using a rolling pin. Roll into a circle until it is almost translucent. Constantly dusting with extra flour will prevent dough from tearing or sticking.
4
In the meanwhile, heat a wok or tawa pan on medium-high heat until hot. Once the pan is hot, invert it upside down and heat for 2 more minutes.
In the meanwhile, heat a wok or tawa pan on medium-high heat until hot. Once the pan is hot, invert it upside down and heat for 2 more minutes.
5
Gently pick up a thinly rolled out flatbread and place on the back of the wok/pan. Using a clean kitchen towel, pat the dough to help with cooking and browning. Alternatively, you can roll the flatbread loosely onto the rolling pin and roll it out onto the pan/wok.
Gently pick up a thinly rolled out flatbread and place on the back of the wok/pan. Using a clean kitchen towel, pat the dough to help with cooking and browning. Alternatively, you can roll the flatbread loosely onto the rolling pin and roll it out onto the pan/wok.
6
Using tongs, check if your bread has brown spots. If so, flip it and repeat pat down on the other side. Using tongs, fold the bread into a half circle and fold it over itself to neatly fold the roti.
Using tongs, check if your bread has brown spots. If so, flip it and repeat pat down on the other side. Using tongs, fold the bread into a half circle and fold it over itself to neatly fold the roti.
7
Repeat steps 5-6 for remaining dough.
Repeat steps 5-6 for remaining dough.
8
Brush with desi ghee/butter, serve hot, and enjoy!
Brush with desi ghee/butter, serve hot, and enjoy!

Nutrition per serving

342

Calories

Protein

33g

Carbs

21g

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

156mg

Sodium

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen

How to Make Indian Handkerchief Bread

Tips for Making the Best Roomali Roti Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions