Authentic Tandoori Roti Recipe (No Tandoor Needed)

Tandoori Roti Recipe – Tawa, Oven & Tandoor Methods

What is Tandoori Roti?

Tandoori roti (तंदूरी रोटी) is an unleavened Indian flatbread made from whole wheat flour and traditionally baked on the inner clay wall of a charcoal-fired tandoor. The word "tandoor" itself comes from the Persian tannūr, meaning oven, and the bread has been part of the Indian subcontinent's food culture for millennia.

It is most closely associated with Punjabi cuisine and is the everyday bread served alongside curries, dal and grilled meats. What sets it apart is the characteristic charred spots and mild smokiness that come from the intense, radiant heat of the clay oven. At our hotel we run the tandoor at around 300–350°C — achieving that same result at home is absolutely possible, and I will show you exactly how.

An important point that often confuses home cooks: tandoori roti does not use baking powder, baking soda, yeast or curd. Those ingredients belong in naan and kulcha doughs. In more than 13 years of professional kitchen work, I have never seen genuine tandoori roti made with leavening agents. Any recipe that calls for them is not authentic.

Is Tandoori Roti Healthy? Nutrition & Calories

This is one of the most common questions I receive, especially from guests watching their diet. The short answer is yes — tandoori roti is one of the healthiest Indian bread options available.

Calories in 1 Tandoori Roti

The calorie count depends primarily on the weight of dough used. Here is a practical breakdown from a professional kitchen perspective:

For a deeper breakdown comparing 1 roti vs tandoori roti sizes, check out my dedicated guide: Calories in 1 Roti – Full Nutrition Facts.

Health Benefits of Tandoori Roti

• Low in calories — around 120 kcal per medium roti, making it diet-friendly.
• High in dietary fibre — whole wheat atta keeps digestion smooth and provides satiety.
• Rich in B vitamins — including B1, B2, B3 and B6, plus iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
• Low glycaemic index — the fibre in atta slows glucose absorption, making it suitable for diabetics in moderation.
• Minimal fat — without ghee, the roti itself contains less than 2 g of fat.
• No refined flour — unlike naan, which is made with maida.

Tandoori Roti Ingredients

The beauty of tandoori roti is its minimalism. Here is exactly what I use, explained the way I would explain it to a new commis in my kitchen:

• Whole wheat flour (atta / gehun ka atta) — the only flour you need for home cooking. Stone-ground chakki atta gives the best earthy flavour and fibre content. For the tandoor method in a restaurant, we add 5–10% maida to improve elasticity when the dough is stretched by hand.
• Salt — a small pinch. Just enough to bring out the nuttiness of the wheat.
• Cooking oil — 1–2 tablespoons of sunflower or any neutral vegetable oil in the dough helps keep it supple and prevents cracking.
• Water — use lukewarm water; it activates the gluten more evenly and gives a softer dough.
• Ghee or butter (for finishing) — a light brush of ghee after cooking is what gives restaurant-style tandoori roti its richness. For vegan tandoori roti, use a neutral plant-based oil instead.

How to Make Tandoori Roti – Step by Step

Step 1 – Making the Dough

Take the whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl. Add the salt and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Mix well so the oil coats the flour evenly — this is a step many home cooks skip, but it is important because it creates a short texture that keeps the roti tender.

Now add water little by little, mixing with your fingers as you go. You are aiming for a dough that is softer than chapati dough but not sticky — it should spring back slowly when you press a finger into it.

Grease a little oil over the dough surface, cover with a damp cloth or cling film and rest for at least 20–30 minutes. This rest period is non-negotiable in a professional kitchen — it allows the gluten to relax, making rolling much easier and the final roti far more tender.

Step 2 – Dividing and Shaping

After resting, divide the dough into equal portions of about 60–70 g each (roughly the size of a large lemon). Roll each portion between your palms to form smooth, crack-free balls.

Dust one dough ball lightly with dry flour. Press it gently with your fingertips to start flattening it, then use a rolling pin to roll it out to a round of about 5–6 inches in diameter and 3–4 mm thickness. Do not use excessive dry flour while rolling — too much flour prevents the roti from adhering to the tawa, which is the key to the direct-flame technique.

Method 1 – Tandoori Roti on Tawa (Home Gas Stove)

This is the method I recommend for every home cook. An iron tawa is your best friend here — do not use a non-stick pan, as the roti will not stick and the whole direct-flame technique will not work.

Heat the iron tawa over medium flame until it is very hot. Then reduce to low flame. Brush a generous amount of water on one side of your rolled roti and place that side directly down on the hot tawa. The water creates a steam bond that makes the roti cling to the tawa.

Cook for about 30 seconds until small bubbles begin to puff up on the surface. Now — and this is the technique that makes all the difference — flip the tawa upside down and hold the roti directly over the gas flame. Increase the flame slightly. The roti stays attached to the tawa and the exposed side cooks directly in the flame, developing those beautiful charred spots.

Once the spots appear, flip the tawa back onto the stove and cook for a final 30 seconds. Remove the roti, brush with ghee or butter and serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Method 2 – Tandoori Roti in Oven

If you have an oven that can reach 250–280°C, you can bake excellent tandoori roti with a very similar result to the tawa method. This is a popular approach in the USA where gas stoves may not be available in every home.

Preheat your oven to 250–280°C (480–535°F) for at least 15 minutes with a baking tray or pizza stone placed on the middle rack. The tray must be scorching hot when the roti goes in — this is what cooks the underside and mimics the effect of the tandoor wall or a hot iron tawa.

Carefully remove the hot tray, place your rolled rotis on it (2–3 at a time depending on tray size) and return to the oven immediately. Bake for 8–10 minutes. When the top surface develops light brown spots and the edges begin to puff, the roti is done. Remove, brush with ghee and serve.

While the first batch bakes you can roll the next batch — the tray will stay hot enough after the first batch, so subsequent batches often cook faster, around 6–7 minutes.

Method 3 – Traditional Tandoori Roti in Tandoor

This is how we make it at the hotel every single day, and the method is quite different from home cooking. In a professional kitchen we never use a rolling pin for tandoori roti. The entire shaping process is done by hand.

Take a rested dough ball and dust lightly with flour. Grease your fingertips with a little oil. Begin pressing the ball gently outward from the centre using your fingertips.

Once it is partly flattened by fingertips, transfer the dough to the palm of one hand and use both palms to pat and stretch it into an even round of about 5–6 inches.

Place the shaped roti on a gaddi (roti pad — a round, thick cloth cushion) and firmly press the roti onto the inner wall of the preheated tandoor.

The ideal tandoor temperature for roti is medium-hot — around 280–320°C. Too high and the exterior chars before the inside cooks; too low and the roti dries out. Allow the roti to cook for 60–90 seconds until light brown spots develop on the surface.

Remove carefully using a long pair of metal skewers, brush with ghee and serve at once.

Butter Tandoori Roti

Butter tandoori roti (also called tawa butter roti or makhan roti) is simply a tandoori roti finished generously with butter or ghee right off the heat. At the hotel we use clarified butter (ghee) for its higher smoke point and richer, nuttier flavour. At home, unsalted butter or homemade white butter (malai makhan) works beautifully.

For the richest result, brush the roti while it is still hot so the butter melts into the surface. Some guests ask for a double butter coat — we brush once right off the tawa, then again just before plating. That is your restaurant-style butter tandoori roti.

Tandoori Roti vs Naan – What is the Difference?

This is one of the most asked questions in my experience, especially from international guests who are new to Indian bread. Let me break it down the way I would explain it in a hotel briefing:

For recipes to pair with your bread, check my Top Kebab Styles to Serve with Tandoori Roti.

Tandoori Roti vs Chapati – Key Differences

Both are whole wheat, both are unleavened — yet they are quite different in terms of cooking technique, texture and the occasion they are served at:

Tawa Roti vs Tandoori Roti

The difference here is primarily in cooking method and the resulting flavour. A tawa roti is cooked entirely on a flat griddle — both sides cooked on the tawa surface. A tandoori roti, even when made at home, goes through a second stage of cooking directly over the open flame (after being flipped off the tawa), which creates the distinctive smoky char that defines the bread. So the dough can be identical; it is the technique that separates the two.

Is Tandoori Roti Vegan?

The dough is 100% vegan — only wheat flour, water, salt and a neutral oil. The only non-vegan element is the ghee or butter brushed on after cooking. Simply ask for oil instead of ghee, or skip the finishing fat altogether, and your tandoori roti is completely plant-based. This is something we accommodate regularly at the hotel for vegan guests, and it works perfectly well.

What to Serve with Tandoori Roti

Dal and roti is the timeless pairing — dal tadka or dal fry are the go-to choices both at home and in the restaurant. Beyond dal, tandoori roti pairs brilliantly with any thick North Indian gravy: paneer butter masala, kadai chicken, butter chicken, bhindi masala or rajma. The slightly charred, earthy flavour of the roti balances rich, cream-based gravies particularly well.

If you enjoy it with grilled meats, check out my dedicated article on Top Kebab Styles to Serve with Tandoori Roti.

A note on khameeri roti: this is the yeast-leavened variation from Mughlai cuisine — soft, slightly sour from the fermented dough. It is rarely served today but is a close cousin worth knowing about.

Professional Chef Tips for Perfect Tandoori Roti Every Time

• Use an iron tawa, not non-stick. The water-adhesion technique that lets you flip the roti over the flame only works when the roti sticks to the tawa surface. A non-stick pan defeats this entirely.
• Rest the dough generously. Twenty minutes minimum. Thirty is better. In a busy restaurant kitchen I rest it for up to an hour. A well-rested dough rolls evenly and produces a significantly softer roti.
• Lukewarm water for kneading. It activates gluten development more evenly and results in a supple, extensible dough.
• Do not over-flour when rolling. Excess dry flour on the surface prevents the roti from sticking to the tawa — which is the entire basis of the tawa-flip method.
• Roll slightly thicker for tandoor. The intense heat of a tandoor cooks the roti very quickly; slightly thicker dough (4–5 mm) prevents it from burning before the interior is cooked.
• Store half-cooked for meal prep. Cook the roti on the tawa until bubbles appear but do not do the flame step. Stack with butter paper in between, wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Finish over the flame just before serving — this is standard practice in hotels for buffet prep.
• For smoky flavour without a tandoor — dhungar method. After cooking, place the rotis in a covered container. Drop a small piece of hot charcoal in a small steel bowl inside the container, pour a few drops of ghee over the charcoal, and seal the lid for 2–3 minutes. The smoke infuses beautifully into the roti.

Tandoori Roti Recipe Video

If you enjoy making Indian flatbreads, these recipes from hassanchef.com are worth exploring next:

• Missi Roti
• Rumali Roti
• Butter Naan Recipe
• Paneer Kulcha
• Amritsari Kulcha
• Wheat Parotta
• Aloo Paratha
• Paneer Paratha
• Bhature Recipe

Tandoori Roti

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (42 reviews)

⏱️ Prep: 15 min  |  🍳 Cook: 10 min  |  🍽️ Serves: 4

By Mobasir Hassan

Published: Dec 18, 2020  |  Last Modified: Mar 7, 2026

🖨️ Print 📌 Pin

Tandoori roti is an unleavened Indian flatbread made from whole wheat flour (atta), cooked in a clay tandoor or recreated at home on a tawa. It is low in calories, high in fibre, completely vegan (without ghee), and delivers a wonderful smoky flavour that goes with any Indian curry or dal.

Ingredients

• 200 g whole wheat flour (atta / gehun ka atta)
• 10 g all purpose flour / maida (optional — for tandoor method only)
• ⅓ tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 tbsp cooking oil (sunflower or any neutral oil)
• Water as required — lukewarm preferred
• Ghee or unsalted butter for brushing (use neutral oil for vegan)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix wheat flour, salt and 1 tbsp oil. Rub together until the oil is fully incorporated.
2. Add lukewarm water little by little and knead into a soft, pliable dough. Add remaining oil and knead 1 more minute until smooth.
3. Cover with a damp cloth and rest the dough for 20–30 minutes.
4. Divide into equal portions (~60–70 g each). Roll into smooth balls.
5. Dust one ball lightly with flour. Press with fingertips then roll with a pin to a 5–6 inch round, about 3–4 mm thick.
6. Tawa method: Heat an iron tawa until very hot, then lower flame. Brush water on one side of the roti; place water-side down on tawa. Cook 30 sec until bubbles appear.
7. Flip tawa over direct gas flame (increase flame slightly). Cook until charred brown spots appear on the roti surface.
8. Return tawa to stove for 30 more seconds. Remove roti, brush with ghee, serve hot.

Chef's Tips

• Always use an iron tawa — non-stick pans will not hold the roti for the flip-over-flame technique.
• Minimal dry flour when rolling — too much flour prevents adhesion to the tawa.
• For tandoor: add 5–10% maida to the dough for elasticity when shaping by hand.
• Knead with lukewarm water for a smoother, more pliable dough.
• For meal prep: half-cook on tawa, stack with butter paper, refrigerate up to 2 days, finish over flame just before serving.

Nutrition (per medium roti, ~70g raw)

Calories: 120–130 kcal  |  Protein: 4 g  |  Fat: 2–3 g  |  Carbs: 22–24 g  |  Fibre: 3 g

Quick FAQs

Q1: Can I make tandoori roti without a tandoor?
Yes — use an iron tawa. Cook one side, then flip the tawa over the gas flame to get those charred spots. Same result, no tandoor required.

Q2: How many calories in 1 tandoori roti?
A medium restaurant-sized roti (70 g raw dough) contains approximately 120–130 kcal without ghee, and 155–165 kcal with 1 tsp ghee brushed on.

Q3: Why is my tandoori roti turning hard?
Dough is either too tight or under-rested. Knead soft, rest for at least 20–30 minutes under a damp cloth. Gluten needs time to relax.

Q4: Is tandoori roti healthier than naan?
Absolutely. Tandoori roti is whole wheat, unleavened and contains roughly half the calories of naan with significantly more fibre and far less fat.

Q5: Is tandoori roti vegan?
The dough is vegan. The only non-vegan element is the ghee finishing — simply substitute with neutral oil or skip it entirely.

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More FAQs

Q6: What flour is best for tandoori roti?
Whole wheat flour (atta) is traditional and the healthiest option. Stone-ground chakki atta gives the most authentic earthy flavour. For cooking in a tandoor where dough is hand-stretched, adding 5–10% maida helps with elasticity.

Q7: Do I need yeast or baking soda for tandoori roti?
No. Classic tandoori roti is unleavened. Yeast, baking soda, baking powder and curd are used in naan and kulcha, not in tandoori roti. Any recipe adding these to tandoori roti dough is either following a shortcut or confusing it with naan.

Q8: How do restaurants get that smoky flavour in tandoori roti?
The clay tandoor reaches 300–350°C and the roti literally bakes against the inner wall while being radiated from the charcoal below. At home, the closest technique is flipping the iron tawa over the direct gas flame. Alternatively, use the dhungar method — hot charcoal + ghee in a covered container — for a genuine smoky infusion.

Q9: Can I store tandoori roti for later?
Half-cook on a tawa (stop before the flame step), stack with butter paper between each roti, wrap in foil and refrigerate up to 2 days. Finish over the flame just before serving. This is exactly how hotels manage bulk roti prep for banquets.

Q10: What is the difference between tawa roti and tandoori roti?
Tawa roti is cooked entirely on the tawa — both sides. Tandoori roti involves a second cooking stage directly over a flame or in a tandoor, which delivers the charred spots and smoky flavour that tawa roti cannot replicate. The dough composition is essentially the same.

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