Only Roti

If you walk behind the Gurudhwara in Ameerpet and look for Swathi Avenue, you’ll find us. We’re at H.No. 7-1-150. It’s a small place, honestly. We call ourselves Only Roti because that’s what we do. We make rotis all day long. It gets very hot in here especially during the summer months when the stoves are going from early morning. We start before the sun is even up to make sure everything is ready for the lunch rush. The flour gets everywhere, on our clothes and even in our hair sometimes. My hands are usually white with dust by ten in the morning. We don’t have a big menu or anything fancy. People come to us because they want something simple that tastes like it was made at home. We have a few regular guys who work the rolling pins and they’ve been with me for years. We talk about the news or cricket while we work. The lane outside is pretty narrow so it gets crowded when the delivery bikes come to pick up orders. Sometimes we run out of dough earlier than expected and have to close up for a bit to make more. It’s a messy business but it keeps us busy. Ameerpet is always loud and fast, but inside our little kitchen, we just focus on making the next batch of rotis. It’s hard work on the back and shoulders but it’s what we know and we just keep at it every day.