Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Bervin Roti
Bervin Roti (Plain Stuffed Bread)

Bervin Roti

Plain Stuffed Bread
VegetarianOrigin AwadhPrep 40 minutes, plus standing timeCook 10–15 minutesMakes 16

A soft, griddled flatbread encasing a savoury, seasoned split chickpea filling. It has a tender, pliable exterior with a hearty, earthy, and mildly peppery interior.

Filling spices

0.3 gSeasoned into the mashed dal (step 3)
01
Ground black pepper · Kali Mirch Powder
~0.3 gpinch
spice
Keep ready to season the dal filling.

Everything else

01
Flour · Maida / Atta
1000 g
flour
02
Salt · Namak
~0.3 gpinch
salt
03
Ghee
125 g
oil/fat
04
Chana dalrinsed and drained
375 g
legume
05
Salt · Namak
2.9 g½ teaspoon
salt

Method

  1. Sift 1000 g flour and 0.3 g salt together into a mixing bowl, then rub in 125 g ghee with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Add enough water to form a soft, non-sticky dough, knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, then place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.
  3. Boil 375 g chana dal in a large pan of water for roughly 30 minutes until soft and dry, then crush thoroughly with a masher and stir in 2.9 g salt and the filling spices.
  4. Divide the rested dough into 16 equal portions, roll them into balls, and flatten them into small rounds.
  5. Place a portion of the dal mixture into the middle of each round, draw the edges together to seal the filling inside, shape back into a ball, and roll each one out gently into a flat disc.
  6. Heat a tawa, griddle, or heavy frying pan over medium heat, then cook each roti for 1 to 2 minutes, turning twice until thoroughly cooked.

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Flour
  • Plain flour

    Use the same weight; it is the closest everyday swap for generic flour.

  • Whole wheat flour

    Use the same weight, add 1–2 tbsp extra water, and rest the dough 10–15 minutes. The result is denser.

  • Rice flour

    Use 90% of the weight. It is gluten-free and gives a crisp, slightly gritty texture; best for coatings rather than bread.

Ghee
  • Unsalted butter

    Use 120% of the weight; melt gently over low heat to avoid burning the milk solids, which will yield a softer, creamier richness rather than a nutty aroma.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use 85% of the weight; holds high cooking temperatures without smoking, but the final dish will lack traditional dairy depth.

  • Mustard oil

    Use equal weight; heat to smoking point and cool slightly before cooking, bearing in mind it introduces an assertive, pungent edge.

Chana dal
  • Yellow split peas

    Use 100% of the weight. Soak for at least 1 hour; takes about 10 minutes longer to cook through and has a marginally earthier flavour.

  • Pigeon peas

    Use 100% of the weight. Reduces cooking time by about 10 minutes and breaks down softer, giving a smoother consistency rather than distinct grains.

  • Black gram

    For tempering or tadka only: use 70% of the weight. Browns faster in hot oil, providing a nutty, crunchy bite.

Ground black pepper
  • Black peppercorn

    Use 1:1 by weight; pulverise in a spice mill or mortar to a fine powder for immediate, punchy heat.

  • Coarsely ground black pepper

    Use equal weight; offers the same bite, though it gives a visibly speckled finish and firmer crunch.

Similar dishes

Puran Poli
Shallow-fried Bread with Sweet Filling
Puran Poli is sweet and warmly spiced, unlike the savoury and mildly peppery profile of this dish.
  • Same: Puran Poli is also a griddled flatbread stuffed with a cooked chana dal filling.
  • Different: Puran Poli uses vegetable oil instead of ghee and flavours its filling with green cardamom and nutmeg rather than salt and black pepper.
Poori
Poori is crisp and puffed with a light tender interior, while this dish is soft and pliable with an earthy, mildly peppery chickpea filling.
  • Same: Poori and this dish both use wheat flour, salt, and ghee to make an unleavened bread.
  • Different: Poori has no chana dal filling or black pepper and is deep-fried in 500 g ghee or oil, while this dish is a griddled stuffed bread with a split chickpea filling.
Dal ki Kachori
Lentil-filled Puffed Bread
Dal ki Kachori tastes hotter and more heavily spiced from the red chilli, with a crisp, fried bite rather than a soft, buttery exterior.
  • Same: Both are Indian breads stuffed with a seasoned lentil filling.
  • Different: Dal ki Kachori uses urad dal, red chilli powder, and coriander seeds and is deep-fried in vegetable oil, whereas this dish uses chana dal and black pepper and is griddled in ghee.
Missi Roti
Lentil Bread
Missi Roti has a significantly hotter, more pungent, and herbaceous flavour from the fresh chillies, ginger, and onion, whereas this dish has a milder, richer taste defined by ghee and black pepper.
  • Same: Missi Roti is also a griddled Indian flatbread prepared with chana dal.
  • Different: Missi Roti kneads both chana dal and moong dal directly into the dough alongside onion, ginger, fresh coriander, turmeric, and chillies, instead of encasing a separate dal filling cooked with ghee.