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Home » Entree » Roti / Paratha

Published: Sep 23, 2018 · Modified: Dec 12, 2021 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Roomali Roti | Soft and Thin Rumali Roti

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roomali roti served with curry and green chilies on top

Roomali Roti also called Rumali Roti, is a popular flatbread from the regions of India and Pakistan which is very soft and thin . The texture and the fold of the roti resembles the Handkerchief and hence called the Handkerchief roti.

Roomali Roti | Soft and Thin Rumali Roti
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  • Let's talk tools
  • Ingredients Needed
  • Process steps for Rumali Roti
  • Expert tips and FAQ's to make the best Rumali Roti
  • Similar Roti Recipes
  • Recipe

Roomali Roti, the soft and thin Handkerchief flatbread was on my to do list for a very long time. Growing up, any time when eating out, I was fascinated by the name of the roti and how thin it was and ordered it quite often. The chewy and soft roti was a perfect flatbread to eat with rich paneer gravies.

Rumali Roti is a popular flatbread from the regions of India and Pakistan. Roomal / Rumal means handkerchief and since this bread is as thin as a handkerchief, it got the name as Roomali / Rumali Roti. It was interesting to read that during the Mughal period, the Roomali / Rumali roti was used as cloth at the end of the meal to wipe the grease off the hands.

Let's talk tools

I am a big fan of kitchen tools and gadgets and it can be anything as simple as a simple Wok. I love my wok! It is nothing extraordinary and I made sure I got an all metal wok with no coating and I have been using it to make literally everything.

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If you are looking to buy a wok, go ahead and buy one. I use it not just to make Asian stir fry and Noodles, but also to make subzi, large quantity of mixed rice and now to make this Roomali / Rumali Roti.

I shortlisted the Roomali Roti for the alphabet R but was confused on what pan to use inverted and cook these rotis in. That is when my husband said, why don't you use your wok.

It is all Iron and large and will be perfect to cook these Roomali Rotis. There we go... I spent no extra time thinking about the recipe and went ahead making it for dinner.

It was so much fun rolling the rotis really thin and stretching them as best as I can and then placing it on the inverted pan. The large wok gave me enough room for mistakes and the result was this amazing soft and thin Roomali Roti that I ate in restaurants.

Ingredients Needed

  • Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
  • All Purpose flour - 1 ½ cups
  • Salt - 1 tsp
  • Oil - 2 tablespoon + 1 TBSP
  • Water - as needed to make the dough
rumali roti stacked

Process steps for Rumali Roti

  • Add the flours, salt and oil in a mixing bowl and add water slowly to make a very soft and slightly sticky dough.
  • I used my stand mixer to make the dough. Knead the dough until it is elastic. The dough has to be slightly sticky as that will help in rolling it out thin.
  • Grease the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If you can let it rest longer, it is even better.
  • When ready to cook, make even sized 10 to 12 balls from the dough. If you have a large wok to work with, then the dough ball cab be slightly larger. If your cooking surface is smaller, make smaller balls so you can make smaller Roomali roti.
dough divided into pieces
  • Dust the dough balls with flour and roll it as thin as possible. If the dough retracts back too much when rolling, let it rest for 5 minutes and then roll again.
  • In the meantime, heat a wok or any wide wok shaped pan inverted on the flame. We will be cooking these Roomali Rotis on the outer side of the pan.
  • When the pan is nice and hot, place one of the thinly rolled roti on the pan and cook until bubbles appear.
step by step process to cook the rumali roti on a wok
  • Flip it once and let it cook on the other side as well. Fold the cooked roti on the pan and then place in between layers of kitchen towel to keep it warm and soft until we make the rest.
  • Serve the rumali roti warm with some rich Subzi.
stack of roti on a bowl with green chilies on top

Expert tips and FAQ's to make the best Rumali Roti

  • Knead the dough very soft to help roll better. 
  • Rest the dough. This helps relax the protein and stretch the dough better.
  • Roll the dough as thin as possible to get the best handkerchief feel. If the dough retracts when rolling, rest it for couple of minutes on the counter and then roll again. 
  • A large really hot surface helps cook the roti evenly. Wok works great for this purpose. 

Similar Roti Recipes

  • Sel Roti | Crispy Fried Sweet Bread From Sikkim
  • Sweet Paratha | Sweet Roti | Sugar Stuffed Flatbread
  • Karnataka Akki Roti | Rice Flour Flatbread
  • Pol Roti | Sri Lankan Coconut Roti

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below.
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Recipe

Roomali Roti | Soft and Thin Rumali Roti

Roomali Roti also called Rumali Roti, is a popular flatbread from the regions of India and Pakistan which is very soft and thin . The texture and the fold of the roti resembles the Handkerchief and hence called the Handkerchief roti.
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistan
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 flatbread
Calories: 146kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • Rolling Pin
  • wok
  • Stand Mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Whole wheat flour
  • 1 ½ cups All Purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 3 tablespoon Oil
  • Water - as needed to make the dough

Instructions

  • Add the flours, salt and oil in a mixing bowl and add water slowly to make a very soft and slightly sticky dough.
  • I used my stand mixer to make the dough. Knead the dough until it is elastic. The dough has to be slightly sticky as that will help in rolling it out thin.
  • Grease the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If you can let it rest longer, it is even better.
  • When ready to cook, make even sized 10 to 12 balls from the dough. If you have a large wok to work with, then the dough ball cab be slightly larger. If your cooking surface is smaller, make smaller balls so you can make smaller Roomali roti.
  • Dust the dough balls with flour and roll it as thin as possible. If the dough retracts back too much when rolling, let it rest for 5 minutes and then roll again.
  • In the meantime, heat a wok or any wide wok shaped pan inverted on the flame. We will be cooking these Roomali Rotis on the outer side of the pan.
  • When the pan is nice and hot, place one of the thinly rolled roti on the pan and cook until bubbles appear.
  • Flip it once and let it cook on the other side as well. Fold the cooked roti on the pan and then place in between layers of kitchen towel to keep it warm and soft until we make the rest.
  • Serve warm with some rich Subzi.

Notes

Expert tips and FAQ's
  • Knead the dough very soft to help roll better. 
  • Rest the dough. This helps relax the protein and stretch the dough better.
  • Roll the dough as thin as possible to get the best handkerchief feel. If the dough retracts when rolling, rest it for couple of minutes on the counter and then roll again. 
  • A large really hot surface helps cook the roti evenly. Wok works great for this purpose. 

Nutrition

Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Padmajha PJ says

    October 23, 2018 at 4:41 am

    5 stars
    Rumali Roti has turned out so well Sandhya. Now I need to buy a wok! Here in almost all the wedding receptions Rumali roti and paneer butter masala is there on teh menu and its my kids fav. Never made it at home though!

    Reply
  2. code2cook says

    October 22, 2018 at 10:49 am

    5 stars
    yoo super cool idea to make rumali roti. so innovative and creative way to make rumali roti. You know rumali roti is my husband's favourite and if I will show it to him he will make me do asap. bookmarking this post for my reference.

    Reply
  3. Ritu Tangri says

    October 22, 2018 at 5:39 am

    5 stars
    I too wanted to make roomali roti for letter R, but opted for Rajasthani khoba roti in the end. You have made it perfectly. Just need some dal to enjoy this roti

    Reply
  4. Renu says

    October 18, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    5 stars
    Roomali roti looks so nice and yum. Would love to have them with some spicy curry.

    Reply
  5. Srivalli Jetti says

    October 16, 2018 at 5:04 am

    Fantastic choice Sandhya, just for the lack of the pan, I am yet to try this at home. I had infact shortlisted this one for my list but again changed it for something else..you have done it so beautifully done..now I will check out if my wok is like this as well..:)

    Reply
  6. preeti garg says

    October 15, 2018 at 12:52 am

    Love your technique, same I used. Roomali roti looks so perfect and goes with any gravy.

    Reply
  7. Mayuri Patel says

    October 11, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    5 stars
    Just love the whole technique of making roomali roti and ofcourse love to have it too. Its amazing how the professionals keep on throwing the disc of dough in the air to enlarge it. Using a wok to make the roomali rotis at home is a good suggestion.

    Reply
  8. Vaishali Sabnani says

    September 30, 2018 at 9:34 pm

    I have always loved these Rumali rotis , but never tried my hand on these . Yours look beautifully made , thin as a kerchief !
    Perfect with any curry these are definitely a feast for me .

    Reply
  9. M.Gayathri Raani says

    September 27, 2018 at 4:44 am

    These are perfect roomali rotis. Using wok for as the pan is a wonderful idea Sandhya. I need to find one now. I love roomali rotis but never tried to make them at home.

    Reply
  10. Sowmya says

    September 24, 2018 at 6:48 am

    5 stars
    Never thought roomali rotis can be made at home!! Love the idea of an inverted pan to make them...hats off to you

    Reply
  11. harini says

    September 23, 2018 at 3:44 pm

    5 stars
    Very interesting history Sandhya. I have never cooked in this method of using an inverted pan. Sounds intriguing. You have done a fabulous job with these rotis.

    Reply
  12. Priya Suresh says

    September 23, 2018 at 3:31 pm

    Just love roomali rotis very much, its not an easy task for us to dish this paper thin rotis at home. You have got them prefectly Sandhya, well done with your wok yaa.. They are just prefect.

    Reply

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I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

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