Ingredients :

Step 1 - Making the dough :

• Choosing the flour - there are many varieties of Atta to choose from and roti experts have their favorite brands. There are many brands sold in Indian stores like Lakshmi, Golden Temple, Sujata(supposedly by Pilsbury) or Swad. Many prefer to stay away from the Golden Temple brand because that atta results in not-so-soft rotis with a slightly different taste. The best way to get super-soft rotis out of that atta is to use warm milk instead of water to make the dough - this is a tested method. Also the rotis made with milk have a nice special flavor - the flavor you get in good Indian restaurants!
   
• Mix in a tsp of salt for 2 cups of flour.
   
• Now to make the dough, you may use warm water or milk. Warm milk is the way to go if you intend to store the rotis. Rotis made with warm milk stay in the refrigerator in ziplock bags for 3 to 4 weeks.
   
• The amount of water/milk used will depend on the atta used - different brands absorb liquids at different rates. So pour 1/2 cup of water/milk into the flour and mix. Add the rest of the milk gradually while mixing and knead till you make a soft dough ball that does not stick to your hand.
   
• Keep the dough in a closed container and let it rest for at least 1 hour. You may keep the dough covered for up to 6 hours before rolling them out. You may also store the dough in the refrigerator for a day - just remember to bring the dough to room temperature before rolling them out.
• Optional - you may add 1 tsp of jeera(cumin) powder while making the dough for added flavor - some people like the taste of jeera in roti.

Step 2 - Prepare the dough to roll out:

• Knead the dough again. Optional - you may apply a little oil to the palm of your hand before kneading.
• Make lemon size(approx. 1.5 inch) balls and dust them with atta and keep aside.

Step 3 - Rolling out :

• Roll out each ball into thin discs - nickel thick. While rolling, you will  have to dust the discs with flour  so that it doesn't stick to the rolling pin.
• Layout the discs on aluminium foil or newspaper. It is better not to roll out large number of discs out before roasting them - this will cause them to dry out. So start with 2 or 3 discs rolled out and roll out the rest as you roast the rotis.

Step 4 - Roasting on griddle/tawa :

• Pre-heat the griddle/tawa
• Layout a rolled out disc on the hot tawa - smooth out any curls immediately. Let's call the side down as side 1 and the side facing you as side 2
• Cooking with side 1 down on griddle.
• Flip the roti when you see white patches and small bubbles as shown below on side 2 (the side facing you)

Step 5 - Roasting on tawa cont'd :

• When flipped, side 1 looks as shown below - with brown patches.
• Now side 2 is cooking.

Step 6 - Roasting on open flame:

• Pick up the roti with a pair of tongs and transfer it on to an open flame with side 1 down.
• The roti puffs up as shown below.
• Keep moving it around on the flame and flip when side 1 gets brown patches.
• Roast side 2 the same way. Keep aside in a closed container(a wide clay pot with a lid would be ideal to keep the rotis soft)

Step 7 - Keeping Rotis soft :

• Keep rotis piled up in a closed container/clay pot or wrapped in a towel.
• Flip the roti pile once or twce so that the rotis on top go to the bottom of the pile. This is to make sure the all the rotis get soft.
• Serve hot with any of the Indian savory dishes.