Roti is one of the most common and important elements of Indian cuisine, included in the diet of most households for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, if the goal is to increase protein intake, relying solely on simple wheat flour roti is not enough. Because of this, some people give up roti or completely change their diet.
Nevertheless, to increase the protein level in the diet, it is not necessary to radically change all dishes. There are ways to add components to the roti dough that will increase the content of protein and nutrients without compromising the taste. Furthermore, you can make the plate more nutritious by correctly combining roti with other foods. This article presents eight simple methods to increase the protein content in roti.
Firstly, you can add chickpea flour (besan) to the flour. Adding a small amount of besan to wheat flour is a simple way to make roti rich in protein. Besan is made from chickpeas and contains more protein than wheat flour. The taste can be improved by adding cumin, coriander, or a little green chili.
Secondly, you can use soy flour, which is also considered a good source of protein. Adding a small amount of soy flour to wheat allows increasing the protein content in roti. Such roti promotes a long feeling of fullness. It is important to ensure that the amount of soy flour is moderate, otherwise, it may change the texture and taste of the roti.
Thirdly, you can make protein roti with a cottage cheese (paneer) filling. If you like stuffed flatbreads, use paneer. Mash the paneer, mix it with onion, green coriander, green chili, and spices, and then use this mixture as a filling for the roti. Serving such roti with yogurt further increases the protein content.
The fourth method is adding moong lentils to the dough. Moong lentils do not necessarily have to be cooked as a standalone dish; they can be soaked, ground, and added in small amounts to wheat flour to make roti. This will give the roti a light lentil flavor along with protein. You can also use leftover cooked moong lentils in the dough.
The fifth way is using satto. Satto is made from roasted chickpeas and is easy to use to increase protein content. For filling, satto can be mixed with onion, green coriander, green chili, and lemon juice. The sixth option is using peanuts. Peanuts contain not only protein but also healthy fats. They can be finely ground and added to the dough, or used as a filling mixed with spices and green coriander, which makes the roti tastier.
The seventh tip is to always eat roti with yogurt. If you do not want to add anything to the dough itself, the simplest way to increase protein intake is to accompany the roti with protein-rich foods such as yogurt, paneer, dal, rajma, chole, or a soya vegetable dish. This will help increase the total protein in the meal.
The eighth point emphasizes the importance of proper food combination. Many try to increase protein levels by changing only the roti itself, whereas it is much more effective to focus on the entire plate. The diet should include protein options such as dal, lentils, rajma, paneer, yogurt, eggs, or soya vegetable dishes served with roti. This way, the body receives necessary nutrients from various sources instead of depending on just one product.
