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Besan roti on black plate.
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5 from 11 votes

Besan roti (gluten free roti) recipe

Recipe for besan roti, a delicious gluten-free Indian roti made with chickpea flour, It's loaded with protein and fiber and needs just two essential ingredients.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting time15 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 besan rotis
Calories: 165kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Griddle
  • Rolling pin
  • Plastic sheet or cling wrap or silicon mat (for rolling out roti)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (optional if using red pepper flakes)
  • 2 tsps kasoori methi
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt (tweak according to your requirements)
  • 3 tablespoons oil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the dough

  • Place water in a saucepan. Add the seasonings to it--turmeric, red pepper flakes or cayenne, cumin powder, crushed kasuri methi, ground black pepper, if using, and salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
    Seasonings boiling in water for besan roti dough.
  • Once the water boils, turn heat to low and stir in the chickpea flour or besan along with a tablespoon of oil. Mix quickly and thoroughly with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, without taking the saucepan off the heat. Continue to mix for about a minute, then turn off heat.
    Besan dough formed in saucepan.
  • Let the dough stand in the saucepan for about 10 minutes or until the dough is cool enough to handle. Turn the dough out on an unfloured surface. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over the dough.
    Besan roti dough turned out on unfloured surface.
  • Knead the dough until smooth, this should take just about a minute. Place the dough into an airtight container, cover, and set aside for 15-30 minutes.
    Kneaded besan dough placed in a bowl.

Make the roti

  • Cut the dough into eight even pieces. Knead each piece briefly before forming into a smooth ball.
    Besan dough divided into eight equal parts.
  • Place the ball of dough on a plastic sheet or cling wrap or silicone mat or any non-stick surface (I have a silicone rolling board for rotis that works perfectly for this). Generously dust the surface and the ball of dough as well as the rolling pin with chickpea flour.
    Besan dough formed into a smooth ball on floured surface.
  • Roll the ball of dough into a roti about seven inches in diameter. Move the roti around as you roll it and add more dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the surface.
    Besan roti rolled out into a seven-inch circle.

Roast the roti

  • Heat a cast iron griddle or non-stick griddle over medium high heat. Place the roti carefully on the hot griddle.
    Besan roti on cast iron griddle.
  • Once the roti begins to bubble, flip it and brush on some oil or spray with cooking spray. Roast the roti, flipping as necessary, until golden-brown spots appear on both sides. Serve the besan roti immediately.
    Besan roti roasting on a griddle.

Notes

  • Try and roll out the roti as thin as you can, but if you make it a bit thick the first few times that's okay. You will get better with practice. A thinner roti will be softer.
  • The edges of the roti might look a bit frayed because it's gluten-free. It doesn't bother me, but if it bothers you, use a knife to trim out the rough edges. You can use a plate as a guide.
  • Brush the besan roti with oil or spray with a cooking spray as it roasts. This will also help make it softer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1besan roti | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg