Roti is the bread that sits at the centre of the table: torn, folded and used to scoop up dal, curry and anything with a sauce. This version swaps a third of the wholemeal atta for jackfruit flour, which gives the dough a gentle, earthy flavour and a slightly denser, more filling bite.

Jackfruit flour is milled from dried unripe jackfruit. It soaks up a lot of water, so the dough needs a short rest before rolling. Give it that time and you'll get soft rotis that puff up beautifully on the pan.

Prep: 15 min | Rest: 20 min | Cook: 15 min | Total: 50 min | Makes: 8 roti | Difficulty: Easy

Suitable for vegetarians. Vegan if you use oil instead of ghee.

Ingredients

• 150 g wholemeal chapati flour (atta), plus extra for dusting
• 75 g jackfruit flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee, plus extra ghee for brushing
• About 170 ml warm water

Method

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Put the atta, jackfruit flour and salt in a large bowl and stir together.
2. Rub in the fat. Add the oil or ghee and rub it through the flour with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
3. Make the dough. Pour in about three-quarters of the warm water and bring it together with your hand. Add the rest a little at a time until you have a soft dough. It should feel slightly tacky but not stick to your palm.
4. Knead. Knead in the bowl or on the worktop for 5 minutes until smooth. Jackfruit flour keeps absorbing water, so if the dough firms up, wet your hands and knead again.
5. Rest. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave for 20 minutes. This lets the flour fully hydrate and makes rolling much easier.
6. Divide and roll. Split the dough into 8 equal balls (about 50 g each). Flatten one, dust with atta and roll into a thin circle about 15 cm across, turning it as you go so it stays round.
7. Cook the first side. Heat a tawa or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay the roti in the dry pan and cook for 30–40 seconds until small bubbles appear and the underside has light brown spots.
8. Flip and puff. Turn it over and cook for another 30 seconds. Press gently around the edges with a folded tea towel to encourage it to puff up.
9. Finish. Transfer to a plate, brush with ghee and stack inside a clean tea towel to keep warm and soft. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Tips for success

• Don't skip the rest. A rested dough rolls thinner and puffs better.
• Watch the heat. Jackfruit flour browns faster than wheat. If the roti scorches before it puffs, turn the heat down slightly.
• Roll evenly. Thin edges and a thick middle stop the roti from puffing, so keep the pressure even.
• Too stiff? Add water a teaspoon at a time; this flour needs more liquid than you might expect.

Variations

• Methi roti: knead in a handful of chopped fresh fenugreek leaves.
• Spiced roti: add ½ tsp ajwain or cumin seeds and a pinch of chilli flakes to the flour.
• Lighter texture: reduce the jackfruit flour to 50 g and increase the atta to 175 g.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm with dal, chickpea curry, a dry vegetable sabzi, or grilled meats and a cooling raita.

Storage

Keep cooked roti wrapped in a tea towel and sealed in a bag for up to 24 hours. Reheat for a few seconds on each side in a dry pan. They also freeze well: layer with baking paper, freeze for up to 2 months and reheat from frozen.

Uncooked dough keeps in the fridge, wrapped, for up to 24 hours. Bring it back to room temperature before rolling.

FAQs

Can I make these with only jackfruit flour? Not easily. Jackfruit flour has no gluten, so on its own the dough tears and won't puff. Keep at least two-thirds atta for a roti that rolls and puffs properly.

Why didn't my roti puff up? The usual reasons are uneven rolling, a pan that isn't hot enough, or a dough that hasn't rested. Try a hotter pan and roll a little thinner.

What does jackfruit flour taste like? It's mild and slightly earthy. In roti it tastes much like a hearty wholemeal bread.