I have been in the forests of the baby Himalayas, near Dehradun, in north India, working with The Ayurveda Experience on a new rollout for their Ayurvedic skincare line Ajara.

It was a beautiful experience, especially because we all lodged together in a “home stay” – a hillside house owned and run by Ritu, who prepared all our meals, and ate with us like family.

The dining area with views of the mountains became our set between meals.

Ritu served rotis at every meal. Also called chapati, rotis are an unleavened flatbread, great for sopping up the sauces in dal, curries, koftas, and all those goopy northern Indian dishes, as well as our more familiar soups and stews. They are also delicious just plain with ghee and a bit of pink salt, especially when the traveler’s belly kicks up a fuss.

In my book, Ayurveda Cooking For Beginners, I included a recipe for Chapati,  and a photo of it (by the glorious Helene Dujardin) landed on the cover with the chapati serving as the carrier for Cauliflower Tacos. Truth be told, though, while I do love making them at home, I had never had an in-person live demonstration. So each time Ritu or Chandra would make them I’d jump up and watch.

For them, my curiosity might have seemed, well, curious, since they make rotis every day, often twice a day, starting from a young age. It is almost second nature for them. But I think they secretly enjoyed sharing their kitchen ways for all of us across the world. After all, ritu is the root of our words ritual, rhythms and rites, so Ritu was doing what she was named to do: perform the rituals that nourish the body, mind and soul.

There is something so comforting about bread, whether it rises and bakes, or rolls, pats, flaps and fires. I hope you will take a cue from Ritu and try making these at home. It may be an acquired skill, but roti/chapati is quick and forgiving. If you under cook, just leave it a bit longer. Over cook, add salt and it becomes like a pita chip or a cracker. You will never purchase a roti as good as the ones you make by scratch, and the art of making it yourself is a satisfying joy.

Here is Ritu making roti with her 9 year old neighbor Chandra:

Click on the image above to get a PDF you can download and print. Or leave a comment below and I will enter you to win a copy of my book so you can have this, plus another 107 simple recipes to support your Ayurvedic wellness.

Thank you, and lots of love.
xo