I have been trying to master the roti for about a year now, and I've only made perfectly soft roti a handful of times. Otherwise they come out rubbery.
The problem is NOT the dough.
I make the dough with atta, water and about a teaspoon of oil. But my mother-in-law uses the same dough and achieves perfectly soft roti every-time. She has watched me making roti and can not spot the problem.
After I roll out the roti (not too thick, not too thin, but not always in a perfect circle), I place it on a preheated tawa on high gas. I wait until bubbles come up on one side and then I flip it. Once brown spots start to appear, I flip it onto the gas. Usually they bloat, but even the bloated ones come out rubbery. I then place them in a box with paper to keep them warm.
Another thing is that these rubbery roti give stomach aches, which might mean they're undercooked. But when I cook them longer on the tawa, they get crispy and hard.
I've tried the style of dabbing the roti with a cloth (no significant change, only slightly softer), I've tried putting less flour when rolling (slightly softer but almost impossible to roll). I've tried making only small roti, and then making bigger roti. Nothing has worked.
Any feedback would be appreciated. I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what's wrong.
EDIT: My mother-in-law and I suspect it has to do with the cooking on the tawa, primarily because when I roll but she cooks it, it turns out fine. She can't tell what I'm doing wrong though then I'm flipping it.
My roti ends up slightly brownish, while hers are more white. I'm guessing that means its undercooked, but when I cook it longer it tends to get crunchy and hard.
Flips: 1st when there are bubbles and the sides start to turn up. 2nd when there are medium-brown dark spots on the roti. 3. I let it bloat for a few seconds both side on the open flame.
Best Answer
If you are using the same dough then the issue lies in your preparation of the dough. There are too many variables to this, I would approach this systematically, eliminating variables as you go by watching your mother in law and measuring how she does things. Specifically I would look for:
I suspect your roti is too thick, and/or maybe you are cooking it too long at too low a temperature. If it's too thick it needs a longer cooking time and you either have one that's undercooked or one that's rubbery. If your pan is too cool then your roti won't cook quickly enough to trap the air in, letting it deflate and get rubbery. Try rolling them thinner and getting the pan hotter.