Oil in Roti Dough: Why It Matters and How to Use It Right

When you add oil in roti dough, a small amount of fat that transforms plain flour into soft, pliable, and puffable bread. Also known as ghee or vegetable oil in Indian flatbread, it’s not just for flavor—it’s a game-changer for texture and shelf life. Skip it, and your roti might turn out dry, tough, or stubbornly flat. Add too much, and it becomes greasy or won’t hold shape. The right amount? That’s where the magic happens.

Roti dough isn’t just flour and water. It’s a balance of hydration, gluten development, and fat. Oil, a liquid fat that coats flour particles and slows gluten formation, makes the dough easier to roll, reduces sticking, and helps the roti stay soft longer. Compare that to ghee, a solid clarified butter that adds richness and a subtle nutty aroma—many households swear by it, especially in North India. Ghee gives a deeper flavor and better puffing, but oil is cheaper, neutral, and works just as well for everyday use. You don’t need fancy ingredients—just 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup of flour.

Here’s what happens when you get it right: the oil creates tiny barriers between gluten strands, making the dough more elastic. That’s why your roti rolls out thin without tearing. It also traps steam during cooking, which helps the roti puff up like a balloon. If your roti isn’t puffing, it’s not always the heat—it could be the dough’s fat content. And if your rotis get hard by lunchtime? That’s a sign you need more oil—or better storage. Many cooks skip oil thinking it’s unhealthy, but a teaspoon per roti isn’t the problem. Processed snacks are. Roti with a touch of oil is still one of the healthiest carbs you can eat.

What about water? Some people add oil to warm water before mixing it into flour. Others rub it into the flour first. Both work. The key is even distribution. Don’t just drizzle it on top and hope for the best. Mix it in with your fingers until the dough looks slightly shiny and feels smooth—not sticky, not crumbly. Let it rest for 20 minutes. That’s when the oil fully coats the flour, and the dough becomes forgiving.

You’ll find this in the posts below: how oil affects puffing, why some recipes skip it entirely, what happens when you use coconut oil instead, and how to fix roti that won’t roll or sticks to the tawa. Some of these posts even compare oil to ghee, butter, or yogurt—because the best roti isn’t about tradition alone. It’s about understanding what each ingredient does. Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been making roti for years, the right amount of oil makes the difference between good and great.