How do you pack a rotis for travel?

Mallika is a content writer and a foodie who loves her native Indian cuisine. She enjoys exploring the cuisine and sharing it with others.

Road trip

Road trips are fun for those who love travelling and have a good time with family and friends. A Road trip - a self-organised trip and a long-distance journey by road, usually travelled by automobile. There is no particular distance or range to set to qualify for a road trip. It can be a short trip, an adventurous one, a road trip picnic, an excursion, a pilgrimage road trip or a vacation road trip.

Planning and carrying food for a road trip is one of the good things to do on a road trip. The food items for a road trip should be fresh for longer hours. Generally, homemade foods, fresh vegetable slices, fruits, sandwiches, nuts, store-bought snacks like chips, chocolates, energy bars, crackers etc., are preferred.

A roti basket

From the basket of Indian foods, rotis (Indian bread) is one such food item that is easy to prepare and pack for road trips. Homemade rotis are healthy, yummy and paired with different durable side dishes. Let us see 15 rotis from different Indian regional cuisines that make a good choice for road trips. These rotis will be fresh for at least 10 to 24 hours.

Note:

1.Occasionally, "roti" is used as a generalised term for Indian bread. In this article, it is used as such a term for different Indian breads discussed here and hence, the title of this article is named creatively.

2. In this article, the general recipe for cooking roti is not given but ingredients for making the doughs are given for reference.

A roti bag

Kathi roll packings

Packing tips of rotis

Preparing roti is one thing and packing them is another thing. The packing should retain freshness and prevent the sogginess of rotis.

• Use less oil or butter for cooking rotis and side dishes to avoid greasiness and sogging.
• Moisture makes rotis soggy and quickens decomposition. Always pack rotis until they are cooled down a little bit or warm.
• To pack several rotis, use butter paper in between each roti so that they do not stick together and become soggy.
• The aluminium foil, zip bags, butter paper, roti boxes, roti bags, roti packagings or Kathi roll packagings and casseroles are some options for roti packing.

Cuisine: North Indian

Homemade chapatis

1. Classic Chapati

Chapati, also known as roti, is the basic Indian bread and a staple food in North India. In the South, it is a breakfast and regular dinner (meal consumed at night) item. It goes well with many side dishes, both veg and non-veg but a side dish that remains fresh for longer hours is the catch. One such simple and tasty side dish is a spice podi. Its combination with chapati is an easy and classic choice for road trips!

Side dish: spicy groundnut or peanut podi

phulkas

2. Masala Phulka

Phulka is another type of roti that is slightly different from chapati though both are made from wheat flour. In simple terms, it is oil-less, smaller than chapati and round in shape. Generally, the dough for phulka and chapati has wheat flour, salt and water but in masala phulka, some spices are also added for taste.

Ingredients for dough:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder(optional)
• Salt as per taste
• Water as required to knead the dough

Side dish: spicy coconut podi

Potato roti

3. Potato or aloo Roti

Potato roti and aloo paratha are different. In aloo paratha, potato masala is stuffed and rolled in the prepared dough but in potato roti, boiled and mashed potatoes are added during the preparation of the dough. The taste of both rotis differs due to the difference in the preparation.

Ingredients for dough:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 and 1/2 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste
• Water as required to knead the dough

Side dish: any pickle

Cuisine: Punjabi

Spinach Paratha

4. Paratha

Paratha is stuffed chapati, in simple terms. There are several parathas, but two of the most popular ones make a good choice for journeys. They are aloo masala(stuffed potato) paratha and palak (spinach) paratha. The aloo masala is stuffed into the paratha while rolling, whereas the palak masala paste is added to the dough while making the paratha. Both have a shelf life of 24 hours which makes them a tasty choice for road trips.

Side dish: Mango pickle

Butter rotis

5. Butter Roti

Butter roti is a simple Indian bread that has the usage of butter in the dough, and for cooking the roti as well. Melted butter makes the roti soft, puffy and tasty. The roti is cooked on a low flame, slowly to maintain the softness and puffiness.

Ingredients for dough:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)
• Salt as required
• Warm water as required to knead the dough

Side Dish: Simple potato fry or pepper chicken fry

Cuisine: Mughlai

Reshmi garlic roti

6. Reshmi Garlic Roti

It is a super soft roti as the name suggests. The distinct ingredients of this roti are garlic, potato and milk, used in the dough and the roti is cooked with ghee or clarified butter. All these ingredients make this roti super soft and yummy with the nutty flavour of white sesame seeds.

Ingredients for dough:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1/4th cup all-purpose flour or maida
• 2 boiled potatoes blended into a smooth paste
• 1/4th cup milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (optional)
• 1 tablespoon grated garlic
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• Salt as per taste
• Warm water as required to knead the dough

Side dish: Dry paneer kebab or dry chicken kebab

Mughali roti

7. Mughalai Roti

Originated in the royal kitchens of the Mughal kings, this roti is another yummy food for road trips.

Ingredients for dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or maida
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
• Salt as per taste
• Warm water as required to knead the dough

Instructions:

1. Mix the sugar and dry yeast to warm milk and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add this mixture to the flour while preparing the dough.
2. Cook the roti with ghee or clarified butter for a yummy taste.

Cuisine: Gujarati

Methi thepla

8. Methi Thepla

Theplas are everyday rotis in traditional Gujarati households. It is one of the apt foods to carry along on a journey as it remains fresh for 2 to 3 days. In the traditional recipe, the curd is used in the dough preparation but for journeys, it is avoided to increase the shelf life.

Ingredients for dough:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1/4th cup Bengal gram flour or besan
• 1/4th cup of chopped fresh fenugreek leaves
• 2 teaspoons of (ginger, garlic and green chilli) paste
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1/4th teaspoon asafoetida
• Salt as per taste
• Water as required to knead the dough

Side dish: Mango sweet pickle or any relish

Layered pickle roti

9. Layered Pickle Roti

It is a traditional Gujarati recipe with simple ingredients. As the name suggests, the roti is layered with a mango pickle and cooked with oil or ghee. No side dish is required for this roti.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons ghee
• Salt as per taste
• Water as required to knead the dough
• Oil or ghee for cooking
• 1/4th cup raw mango pickle or any other Indian pickle

Instructions:

1. Take the pickle in a mixer jar and blend it into a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
2. Prepare the dough with wheat flour, ghee, salt and water and let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Roll 5 chapatis of equal portions, shape and size with a rolling pin and keep them aside separately.
4. Take a chapati and spread 1 teaspoon of pickle paste uniformly on the chapati, and cover it with another chapati. On the second chapati, again spread the pickle and cover it with another chapati. Layer all the chapatis in this way and lightly press the stack of chapatis so that they will stick.
5. Now tightly roll the stack of chapatis horizontally from one end to the other and cut the rolled loaf into uniform portions.
6. Flatten each portion in between your palms and again roll into a chapati and keep it aside. Roll all the pickled layered chapatis and cook them with oil or ghee on a roti tawa.

khakhra

10. Khakhra

Khakhra is a dry roti that resembles a thin cracker. It is a popular, Jain food eaten for breakfast. It is one of the best snacks to be carried on a road trip. The difference between a normal roti and a khakhra lies in the roasting technique used to achieve the crispiness of this roti. After rolling the roti with the required dough, it is cooked on a low flame. Very slow roasting and pressing with a wooden press makes the khakhra crispy like a cracker. Ready-made Khakhras with different flavours are available in the market as well.

Cuisine: Awadhi

Rumali roti frankie

11. Mini Rumali Roti Frankie

Rumali rotis originated in the royal kitchens of Lucknowi nawabs. This roti is an innovative recipe in which a mini rumali roti is made into a Frankie or roll or a wrap. The filling has to be a dry filling such as minced mutton, paneer or egg bhurji to increase the shelf life of the roti. Do not use onions or any raw vegetables and sauces in the Frankie but sprinkle some spicy Frankie masala powder to complement the taste.

Cuisine: Maharashtrian

Puran poli

12. Puran Poli

Puran Poli, also known as bhaksham, bobbatlu, oligalu, holige, obbattu, Puran puri and Vedmi in different Indian languages. It is known as Puran Poli in Maharashtrian cuisine. It is a sweet, stuffed roti and easily has a shelf life of 2 to 3 days. A thick paste of split Bengal gram, jaggery, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder is made and it is used as the filling for roti. Roti can be made with either wheat flour or all-purpose flour and cooked with ghee. It is a lip-smacking item for sweet tooth people for road trips.

Thalipeeth

13. Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth is an authentic, mixed flour roti of this cuisine. It is made with 5 types: wheat, jowar, gram flour, pearl millet (bajra), and rice flour.

Ingredients for dough:

• 1 cup jowar flour
• 1/4th cup gram flour or besan
• 1/4th cup wheat flour
• 1/4th cup pearl millet flour
• 1/4th cup rice flour
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chilli, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1/4th teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4th teaspoon carom seeds
• Salt as per taste
• Warm water as required to knead the dough

Side dish: any pickle

Cuisine: South Indian

Jowar roti

14. Jowar Roti

Jowar roti also known as Jowar bhakri is made with jowar or sorghum flour. It is the second staple roti after chapati. It is a healthier option and also vegan and gluten-free. It is larger than normal chapati. The texture of this roti is a little bit harder than chapati which makes it tastier to enjoy this roti with any non-veg curry, veg masala and any south Indian dal.

Side dish: Thick Sorrel dal any South Indian thick dal.

• Thick dals have more self-life than thin and soupy dals.
• Thapilentu is a spicier version of jowar roti that does not need any side dishes and is also a good option for journeys.

Adai roti

15. Adai Roti

Adai is traditionally a dosa prepared with a batter of mixed dals and belongs to Tamil cuisine. Adai roti is an innovative twist to the traditional recipe. In the Adai recipe, mixed dal batter is used but in the roti version, dal flour is used to make the roti. It is also a mixed flour roti like Thalipeeth of Maharashtrian cuisine but the ingredients used are slightly different. The dals are mixed with whole wheat according to the ratios and converted into the mixed flour. This mixed flour is used to prepare Adai roti.

Ingredients for dough

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons rice flour
• 2 tablespoons toor dal flour
• 2 tablespoons chickpea flour or besan
• 2 tablespoons urad dal flour
• 2 tablespoons moong dal flour
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4th teaspoon asafoetida
• Salt as per taste
• Warm water as required to knead the dough

Side dish: Any South Indian pickle

Next time, enjoy your road trips with these healthy rotis and make them memorable.

Happy cooking!

© 2021 Mallika Lotus

Mallika Lotus (author) from Hyderabad, India on August 25, 2021:

Thank you @ Rozlin

Rozlin from UAE on August 24, 2021:

Well written article, Mallika. All rotis packed with lots of nutrition. Thanks for sharing.

Mallika Lotus (author) from Hyderabad, India on August 24, 2021:

Thank you @Chitrangada Sharan

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on August 24, 2021:

Nice and informative article, about the different rotis. They are all delicious and nutritious.

Well presented and interesting. Thank you for sharing.

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