The scent of a roti on a hot griddle transports me, nostalgically and swiftly, to the weekends when I was a girl with knobby knees and tight plaits, and would visit my grandmother’s house every Saturday.

Entering through the back door, we would invariably find her sitting on a wooden stool near a stove on the floor, making small rotis with speedy precision. My sister and I would plant ourselves firmly at the dining table, and slather the freshly-made rotis with butter, sprinkling them generously with large crystals of sugar. Rolling them up, we would bite into the piping hot ensemble! It was a time of relief for my mother who was sick and tired of our finicky food habits.

The scent — whether of the dough while it’s being kneaded with water or that of the flattened bread rising on the hot skillet — is one which tickles the growling tummy some more. Today, when I make rotis for my children, next to a steaming tawa, flexing my arm muscles as I knead, struggling to get a perfect sphere as I roll, it helps me recall my own mother and how for granted I took this truly tedious chore.

According to the Oxford Companion to Food, the origins of the roti can be traced back 3,000 or 4,000 years ago, to the arrival of the Aryans in the Indus Valley. Over centuries, this food form has survived the test of time and changing cultures.

In any part of the world, the aroma of freshly-baked roti transports you back home to desi land

Today too, the making of the roti is a ritual followed in every Pakistani and South Asian household in its own distinct way, with its own set of nuances. Every household has its own stamp of roti — a variance in size and thickness. Some prefer to cook rotis on an upside down tawa, others over non-stick skillets and even in roti makers. Some fashion large, tissue-thin rotis, others roll out small round ones lathered with ghee, while a few are even inclined towards square ones.

In several households the scent of fresh rotis wafts into your nostrils in the mornings for breakfast or for the men’s lunchboxes before they leave for work. In others, the rotis are made in the afternoon awaiting the weary children’s arrival from school. It makes any mother’s heart soar with joy as the fresh rotis — a healthy food option, in today’s age of junk food and fast food — are devoured by the young with unmatched fervour.

In a few homes, the rotis are made deftly at night for dinner, the one meal when the entire family comes together. The fresher the roti the faster the food will disappear and the meal will be a relished one.

Not only is roti a filling meal, enjoyed with a meaty savoury dish, curry, vegetables or even just yoghurt, but also a staple diet which is healthy to the core. The trick is to opt for a wheat flour roti as this grain is resplendent with vitamin (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9), iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.

Dr Nilofer Safdar, Progra­mme Director, Nutritional Sciences School of Public Health, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, too is a big fan of roti and argues that its nutritional value is beneficial in many ways.

“Roti is a staple diet for most Pakistanis therefore it is a good nutritious option to get energy, some protein and B- vitamins. If roti is made of whole wheat or without being processed too much, it’s a good source of dietary fibre which can prevent many diseases,” says Dr Safdar. “It can be consumed by people of all ages and can be introduced to a baby for weaning diets as long as it can be broken / blended into a proper consistency.”

Dr Safdar also endorses the notion that roti is an ideal break-time snack for growing children, “If you add oil / ghee the nutritional value of the roti can be increased to benefit children and can be a healthy and convenient snack for children if you use it to make a roll with chicken, vegetables or cottage cheese, etc.”

Even if you are watching your weight, a wheat roti coupled with a salad, yoghurt or oil-free chicken will boost your energy, increase blood circulation and keep away the pangs of hunger. Not just that, it helps combat obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Vitamin E, soluble fibre and selenium present in roti works to reduce the risk of cancer in the body. Making roti a part of your meal aids digestion and prevents constipation.

The beauty of freshly kneaded and cooked rotis is how healthy they are as compared to other fermented breads which are high on calorie.

Even the ancient Ayurvedas believed in the goodness of a roti which helps balance the vata (which controls all movement in the body, including breathing, digestion, and nerve impulses from the brain ) and pitta (which monitors digestion, body metabolism and energy production) dosha.

It may come as a surprise that the popularity of the roti even permeates the Caribbean where “Roti shops” are abundant in Trinidad and Tobago and the wrapped roti is a staple street food.

Today, even in the West, many Pakistanis and Indians have Roti houses or Eastern food joints where expats and others come to enjoy a roti coupled with other Eastern delicacies.

The best element of a roti, however, is the love with which simple, wholesome and readily-available ingredients like flour, water, oil and salt come together in the hands of the woman of the house to make a delightful home-made bread which adds tremendous value to any meal. It is this maternal love which makes every morsel priceless and keeps the fabric of the home firmly knitted.

May it be a dastarkhuwan, a dining table, a wedding buffet or restaurant — the roti is one food item which is simply, irreplaceable! No matter how many breads, wraps or crepes may come our way, no matter whether you call it a roti, chapatti or phulka — this ancient food, will remain one-of-a-kind.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, April 12th, 2015

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