Aloo Roti

Step 1

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add enough salt so the water tastes as briny as sea water. Bring to boil and cook until completely tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 40 to 50 minutes. (If you're in a hurry, you can quarter the potatoes and boil about 20 minutes.) Drain the potatoes.

Step 2

Once cool enough to handle, peel and mash the potatoes in a large steel or glass mixing bowl. I find it easier to get an even mash by coarsely grating the potatoes. Add the ghee, chiles, cilantro, 1 cup of the flour and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well to form a soft dough. Add more flour as needed to form a dough, but be careful and add a little at a time as you cannot add any water to this recipe. Divide the dough into about 15 balls.

Step 3

Heat a nonstick skillet or seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 4

Keep a bowl of flour nearby. Dab each dough ball in flour, flatten to look like a patty and then dip in flour again. Roll each patty into a thin round on a generously floured surface. The potato in the dough makes it extremely sticky and you will need to use the flour as you roll.

Step 5

Add 1/2 teaspoon of oil to the skillet, then add a roti. Cook until light brown spots appear on each side, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining roti and additional oil.

Step 6

In India, we put the rotis in an insulated chapati box or insulated casserole dish to keep warm as we go. Alternatively, you could wrap them in a towel or kitchen cloth to keep warm.