Roshi ( Maldivian flat bread)

Roshi is very similar to the Indian chapatti, but it uses plain flour instead of atta, although you can make it with any type of flour if you prefer. Kdhatha, my aunt, makes the softest and thinnest roshi that I have tasted, most probably because she makes it for breakfast and dinner as its staple breakfast and dinner staple in most homes. According to my mum, the secret to a soft dough is to add boiling hot water to the dough and start kneading right after adding it, first with a metal spoon and then with your hands when it has cooled enough to handle.

 Makes:16  roshi. 

2 cups plain flour 

1/2 tsp salt

2-3 tbsp oil

 1 cup BOILING water ( approx)

 1. Sift flour into a large bowl. Add salt. Make a well in the centre and add oil.

 2. Add water, be careful as it's boiling hot water!!!. 

 3. Using a metal spoon slowly mix in the flour with water. It will start to form clumps and may look dry but don’t add any more water. 

 4. When it is cool enough to handle, but still quite hot, start kneading with your hands. Once you get a nice soft dough divide it into about 16 balls, knead each ball and, flatten them a little.  Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes or 1 hour.

 5. Dust your workbench with a little flour, and roll each dough to a nice thin flat bread like a chapatti or the Mexican tortilla.

 6. Heat a large nonstick frying pan, over medium heat. Once it is hot, place a roshi in the pan.

 7. Cook until little air pockets start to form, flip it over, flatten it a bit with a wooden spoon and cook the other side. Continue the same with the remaining roshi. Serve with any of the curries or mas huni. 

Troubleshooting, if the dough is too sticky use a little flour, but don't add too much flour, if you feel you are using too much flour to try and save your dough, rub a little oil on the surface of each dough ball and then dust with flour and roll into circles. 

Always store the roshi in a covered food warmer or wrap it in foil. If you leave the roshi exposed to air, you might end up with a tougher roshi rather than a nice soft roshi.

Leftover roshi can be reheated again or made into crispy roshi.

  How we eat our roshi: Some of us like to eat roshi by tearing a small piece and using that to pick a piece of mas huni or dryer curries. Others like to tear a few roshi up into small pieces, add a few ladles of curry, squeeze a little lime or lemon and mix it all in and eat, with a green salad.