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From Hate to Love

I remember whenever I tore a roti apart with my fingers and plopped it into my mouth, it felt as if I was chewing paper. I didn’t like roti, nor did I like the tarkarli that swam in my steel bowl.

“Why couldn’t my mom just make pizza. Or like french fries?” I wanted to ask. But I couldn’t.

I had to eat it, even if I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to sleep hungry.

They say ignorance is bliss.

Fast forward about 3 years, when I had to make roti by scratch underneath the kitchen light, in more than 30°C weather. My arms ached, my stomach growled. It had already been 2 hours, but I was far from finishing. When I finally placed the roti into my mouth, fireworks of savoury flavours exploded in it!

Now, each day, I secretly hope that my mom will enter the kitchen with the schedule of making roti. The days that she does make roti are rare, but when she does, I eat about 4 of them. And the day after eating roti, I tear apart the leftover roti’s, and sneakily eat them when no one’s watching.

How do I make Roti (a summary)?

Roti is similar to a pancake, except 10 times more effort. To make roti, get out your atta (whole wheat flour), a rolling pin, water, and a lot of your determination.

A cup of flour will probably serve two people at the most? Scoop a cup of atta and place in a bowl. Add a bit of water. This mixture SHOULD NOT be like pancake mix, as we will need to knead it later on. After adding the water, use your hands to knead. If the mixture is too dry, add a bit more water. If the mixture is too moist, add a bit more flour. The mixture would be too dry if it’s flaky, it would be too moist if it feels too sticky

Knead at least 150 times with hands. Divide the dough to 8 pieces (an estimate). Using a rolling pin, roll the divided pieces of dough. Add ghee to a pan. Place the rolled dough. Press on the dough for about a minute. Wait for bubbles to form on the top dough, then flip. Repeat for the 8 roti’s. It should be cooked, when you don’t see any more of the “Dough” colour that the roti started with

After finishing, enjoy :^))

Sincerely,

Arnima

**P.S: The above was my experience with making roti, usually I just my mother's instructions and her instincts, but if you have never made roti, please be sure to check recipes online as they will probably have easier instructions to follow!