Spinach Roti: Veggie Flatbread Revolution

by Rotimatic Team
Spinach Roti: Veggie Flatbread Revolution

We all know the significance of a flatbread in making your lunch or dinner a composite meal. It is often the main source of essential carbohydrates and fiber in a meal. Flatbreads have been an integral part of Indian cuisine, as we have long since understood their significance, and since then, have tried to improve them and make them even more nutritious and tasty. As some of our readers may know, we at Rotimatic have explored several flatbreads in our journey to understanding the various varieties of Indian flatbreads that can be classified under the umbrella term ‘roti’. Today, we are going to explore a healthy, veggie-packed version of a classic whole-wheat chapati, the spinach roti.

A spinach roti, also known as palak roti, is the Incredible Hulk of the roti family, not just because of its bright green color but also because of the heavy nutritional punch it packs that knocks out bad health one bite at a time. In this article, we shall be discussing how to make spinach roti traditionally, by hand, and how to make spinach roti in a more modern, automated Rotimatic way. Let's read more to find out more about this veggie-packed green flatbread!

How to Make Spinach Roti

Spinach roti is just spinach-flavored roti. The only difference from traditional roti preparation is the addition of spinach puree as a substitute for some water that is used to make roti dough. All you need is spinach puree, which can be made by blending blanched spinach with some water, flour, salt, oil, and a bit of water. You mix all these ingredients into a slightly sticky dough, which after resting, you can portion and roll out into eye-catching, flat, green disks. Roast these on a tawa with some oil and you're done! It is that simple! Spinach rotis are an incredibly healthy, veggie-packed version of traditional rotis, as they pack more essential nutrients per serving, and turn out to be soft, pliable, and delicious. Let us now learn about making palak roti the traditional way.

Spinach Roti Recipe: Traditional Method

  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes

  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes

  • Rest Time: 20 Minutes

  • Total Time: 1 Hr.

  • Yield: 12-15 Rotis

Ingredients:

For Spinach Puree

  1. 250 grams spinach (Doesn’t have to be very fresh as it is going to be blended anyway)
  2. ½ cup water
  3. Water (as required, for boiling)
  4. Ice water (as required, for blanching)

For Spinach Roti Dough

  1. 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour or atta
  2. 1 cup spinach puree
  3. 1 ½ tsp oil (for the dough)
  4. 2-3 tbsp oil (for cooking)
  5. 1 tsp salt Water (as required)

Preparation Process:

Making the Puree

  1. Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly, and get boiling water and ice water ready for blanching.
  2. Using a pair of tongs or a colander, submerge your spinach in the boiling water for about 30-40 seconds until it turns bright green and becomes floppy. Remove instantly and dunk into the ice water to maintain the bright green color and stop the cooking process.
  3. Cool the spinach, then drain away the excess water. Add the blanched spinach into a blender with ½ cup of water, and blend until a smooth puree is formed. Set it aside.

Making Spinach Roti Dough

  1. In a wide bowl, on a plate, or on a clean work surface, add the flour and salt and mix. Then, make a well in the center and add in your spinach puree, oil, and some water. Mix them and knead until a homogeneous, sticky dough forms. Add the water a few drops at a time to ensure that the dough isn’t too loose.
  2. Roll the dough into a large ball, brush with some oil, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.
  3. After resting, we are now ready to start portioning and shaping the dough.

Rolling Out and Cooking Roti

  1. Divide the dough into 15 equal dough balls. You can grease your hands with some oil to prevent the dough from sticking to your palms.
  2. Spread some whole wheat flour on a clean working surface or chakla, and roll out the dough balls into flat discs. Keep dusting the dough with flour periodically to prevent sticking.
  3. Heat a large skillet, tawa, or cast-iron frying pan on medium-high heat, and place one green disc on the tawa. Once the palak roti starts bubbling, flip it and cook the other side.
  4. Brush some oil on the semi-cooked side of the roti, flip again, and do the same for the second side.
  5. Keep cooking and flipping till golden brown spots appear on the roti.
  6. Brush once more with oil and stack. Voila, your spinach rotis are ready!
  7. Serve warm, or stack in a casserole or hot pack to keep fresh.

Spinach Roti Recipe: Rotimatic Method

In this section, we shall be exploring a recipe to make palak roti by our loyal Rotimatic user, Ashfaq Assadi! He shared his experience of making spinach roti on our ‘Rotimatic Owners’ public page on Facebook, and we were glad to find that he, along with countless other users, loved the Rotimatic experience!

A little about Rotimatic -

Our fully automated AI-based technology gives you a roti in just 90 seconds, all at the push of a button! Rotimatic is the future for busy, health-conscious individuals who want the warmth of healthy home food after a long day at work, in a fraction of the time and effort.

Ingredients:

  • Finely pureed palak/spinach
  • Milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Aashirvaad atta

Preparation Process:

  1. Puree your spinach with some water in a blender until it’s of a smooth consistency.
  2. Mix milk, pureed spinach, and salt in a bowl, and then add to the water container in your Rotimatic.
  3. Add in your flour and oil as needed, and set the machine for the Aashirvaad atta mode, with the thickness setting at 2, roast setting at 1, and oil setting at 1 as well. Start the machine and let the Rotimatic do its magic as usual
  4. Voila, your Rotimatic spinach roti are ready to eat!

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What to Serve with Spinach Roti

Just like regular rotis, spinach rotis are essentially utensils or carriers for meat or vegetable dishes in Indian cuisine. You can pair palak rotis with several Indian curries, dals or lentil preparations, gravy-based meat preparations, dry vegetable preparations, sabji, or even with some raita! You can even use spinach rotis to make homemade kathi rolls, wraps, quesadillas, or frankies. These are an ideal substitute for regular chapatis, but with an additional nutritional kick, which will help you add more goodness to your meals.

Storage Suggestions

Spinach rotis are more moisture-heavy as compared to regular rotis, so they will store well in a refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. The dough can also be made beforehand and stored in the freezer for 1-2 days, and then defrosted. If you are storing pre-made rotis, then reheat them in a microwave by covering them with a damp paper towel to rehydrate them and help make them soft. All in all, we hope this article has convinced you to try out a newer, more modern, veggie-packed version of your regular roti, which is healthier, more fun to eat and look at, and still gives you the same delicious taste and warmth as a whole wheat roti. So, what are you waiting for? Try making spinach roti on your own today!

Other Rotis to Explore

If Roti is something you enjoy, we encourage you to go through some other Roti variations that you might also enjoy:

FAQs:

1. What are the benefits of Palak Roti/Chapati?

Palak or spinach is packed with essential micronutrients like folate, vitamin K, iron, fiber, and magnesium. Combine this with the goodness of whole wheat flour, and you have a roti that is low in sugar, full of good carbohydrates and protein, high in fiber, and packed with micronutrients.

2. Can I replace spinach with red spinach in this recipe?

Yes, you can add red spinach to this recipe. You can add any greens and vegetables of your choice to your rotis. If it can be pureed well, it can be used in your rotis. Vegetables like kale, spinach, or beetroot can be pureed and added to your rotis as well.

3. How many calories are in a palak roti?

One spinach roti has 87 calories. It also has 16 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber.

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