South African Durban Roti
Soft, flaky, butter-brushed flatbreads made using a traditional hot water dough method.
This traditional South African Durban roti recipe uses boiling water to create an incredibly soft, pliable dough. Cooked on a hot tawa pan and brushed with melted butter or ghee, these golden, flaky flatbreads are the ultimate vessel for dipping into rich curries.
Before you start
Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.
Method
- 1
Make the Hot Water Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups cake flour and 1 tsp salt. Add 2 tbsp of oil, butter, or ghee and rub through the flour with your fingertips until combined.
- 2
Gradually add approximately 1.5 cups of boiling water, stirring with a wooden spoon first to avoid burning your hands, then knead into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
- 3
Roll and Cook
Divide the rested dough into equal-sized balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out into a thin, even circle.
The rest of this recipe
There's 2 more ingredients and 4 more steps to go.
The Borderless Kitchen Club opens every recipe in full, and the tools that go with them: one shopping list across everything you’re cooking, servings that scale, and cups instead of grams if that’s how you read.
New here? Making an account is free and opens one recipe of your choosing, for good. Start with this one and South African Durban Roti is yours.
Mum’s note
Using boiling water is the absolute secret to achieving soft, non-rubbery rotis that stay pliable even after cooling down.
Club
Any question left?
Ask, and Ivana replies to you personally, signed Chef Ivana Sanshia. No bots, no canned answers.
Filed under
Picked by Ivana
Other dishes you might like
All recipes →Hand-picked to round out the meal — or simply to cook next.
