How to make Roti for Infants?

Roti is an essential part of Indian diet. Mothers are tempted to give a piece of Roti to infant at the earliest. I suggest you read this section before making Roti for the infants.

Dough Ingredients

Atta

At the age of six months, Roti may be made with Rice, Bajra or Jowar. Infants are least allergic to Rice and Millet flours.

At the age of 10 months, Besan (Chickpea floor), Kuttu (Buckwheat) and Makki (corn flour) may be introduced.

At the age of 12 months, the immunity system of the infant can handle the wheat flour.

Fluids

Normally hot or warm water is used. After the age of ten moths, I recommend to replace water with yogurt to increase the nutritional value of the dough. At the age of 12 months, milk or butter milk may be used.

Yogurt, Milk, and Butter milk increase the nutrients and help to tenderize the dough.

Ghee

For infants over 10 months, I add one teaspoon of Ghee to one cup of flour. This adds the saturated fats needed for the infants.

Salt

Salt should not be used when cooking for infants. Salt can be harmful to infants.

Chopped Vegetables

Traditional Rice and Ragi Roti include chopped onions, peppers, cilantro. I recommend to avoid these chopped vegetables. A piece of chopped vegetable can get lodged in the throat causing un-necessary complications.

Recipe (Age 10 months)

Ingredients

1. Bajra flour: 1 Cups

2. Yogurt: 10 Tablespoons

3. Ghee: 2 teaspoons

Flour for dusting and rolling

Method

Dough

1. Mix yogurt and ghee.

2. Make a mound Bajra flour. With a finger, make a well in the flour mound. Add yogurt and Ghee mixture.

3. Gather dough in to a ball. Cover with damp kitchen towel or a plastic film. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Rolling dough

The lack of gluten makes it very difficult to roll out dough. Traditionally, the dough is rolled out by hand without a rolling pin by hand flattening and pressing. I will use rolling pin in conjunction with two pieces of Parchment / wax papers.

Normally, the Roti is made about the thickness of a nickel (5¢ coin). I will try to make it slightly thicker.

1. Pinch dough to make one bread and form it into a ball. Now flatten it to form a patty about 2" to 3" round. Put the dough patty in between the two sheets of paper and use a rolling pin to roll out dough to about 6" diameter.

2. Always use rolling pin on one side of the dough. Do NOT turn the dough over and roll again, it is called re-rolling. Avoid re-rolling. If you look at the cross-section of a finished puffed flat bread, you will notice one side is thicker than the other side. The thinner side corresponds to the side which was in contact with the rolling pin. We will call it the skin surface.

Cooking

Heat the griddle (Tawa). Put a test bread about the thickness of a Dime (10¢ coin) on the Tawa. If the bread sticks to griddle, you need to increase heat. If the bread gets brown spots too quick, it is too hot. The underside of the bread should start developing brown spots in 30 seconds. The bread is cooked in three steps.

1. Remove the top paper. Lift the rolled dough with the bottom paper in place. Put it on the griddle with skin surface down. Slowly peel off the remaining paper from the top. Cook for one minute. Use a turner to lift a corner to see that the underside has a few brown spots.

2. Turn it over and let it cook. Cook for about 90 seconds. You will notice a steam bubble trapped in dough. Again use a turner to lift a corner to see that the underside has a brown spots.
3. Turn it over. Press with a clean dry rag as the steam bubble will get larger and larger to encircle the whole area. Cook for 1 minute.

Now, you can store these Roti in the refrigerator or double wrap in aluminum foil and freeze them

Serving

Tear up bread and put in a food processor in pulse mode. Process the bread pieces to make crumbs. Add crumbs to minimum water. Bring it to a boil. Cook till soft. Serve. This process may be changed as the the infant matures.