Besan roti

Besan roti is gram flour's answer to the wheat chapati: a thin, soft flatbread made without any wheat at all. Gram flour can make a chapati, but not the wheat way, because besan has no gluten. The dough will not stretch under the rolling pin, so this recipe rolls it between two sheets of parchment, or on a damp cloth, and the roti comes off the tawa soft and pliable.

The water ratio does half the work: half a cup of warm water for a cup of besan, added slowly. Warm water makes the flour absorb more, which keeps the dough soft through kneading, and the ten-minute rest lets it hydrate fully. The ajwain goes into the dough for its sharp, thyme-like note, and a little ghee is rubbed in so the roti stays soft after it cools.

Half the flour can be swapped for whole wheat flour for a mixed-flour roti that rolls on a floured board like a chapati; keep the same ghee, add the water gradually until the dough is soft and pliable, and note that the wheat version is not gluten-free. On its own, this besan roti is free of wheat, barley and rye, so check the pack if you cook for a gluten-free diet.