Roti: ro·ti – noun \ˈrō-tē\
a round soft flat unleavened bread; also : such a bread wrapped around a filling and eaten as a sandwich.
The Promised Messiah (as) writes:
“In a dream I saw an angel seated on an elevated platform in the guise of a boy. In his hand he was holding a pure loaf of bread, which was very bright (and it was very big, equal to about four normal loafs). He gave it to me and said:
“This is for you and for the dervishes [pious followers] who are with you “
“I had interpreted the loaf of bread as meaning that God Himself will provide for me and for my followers and that we will not be rendered anxious on account of lack of provision”
(Nazulul Masih, pp. 206-207)
This vision has been manifesting itself since the first Jalsa in Qadian. Now , Jalsa Salana 2013 will see this revelation attain new heights.
The oval pitta bread has evolved into “fresh, round and sizzling rotis (chapattis)”, as described by the man behind the project.
Saalan and Daal will be accompanied by these fresh rotis which are produced on an ‘auto plan’ system that can bake up to 10,000 per hour. The production has started and the wholemeal rotis are unquestionably a huge hit amongst those who have tasted them.
After Huzur mentioned the new rotis in his Friday Sermon, we decided to head down to the roti plant which is based in Hadeeqatul Mehdi and interview those involved in the project.
This is what they had to say…
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih left no roti unturned during his inspection. Hazur inspected every aspect of the production process, and personally inspected the rotis.
Hedar Deen Tipu – The man heading the installation project!
“…these are fresh, round and sizzling rotis! The great element is they’re hot and wholemeal, with no preservatives or additives, just how they should be. The rotis are made on an ‘auto plan’ machine which bakes approximately 10,000 rotis per hour at roughly 70g each. (10,000 in an hour!!!!!!)
Hedar Deen Tipu – The Boss“… to sell them further, the roti shelf life is 4 days at room temperature and 1 month in the fridge, also just add some olive oil to these and you instantly have scrumptious Parathay!
“ … Insha’Allah, 150,000 rotis will be made per day during the Jalsa, so a total of 450,000 rotis will be produced on the 3 days of Jalsa Salana.”
Thats err….. A LOT of roti
Fizan Warriach & Ahmad Jameel – Flour loaders
“…the mixing team provides us with mixed dough, our job is to load the dough into the driver, which cuts it into small circular pieces ready for the roller.”
Fizan and Ahmad stashing dough. They do half a tonne an hour! That’s some serious dough!“…the roti making machine has an action speed of 10,000 per hour and the size can be controlled and we can also control the timing, this new machine is very flexible”
Fizan told us:
“… I’ve been working here for the past few days, starting at 10:30 am until 10:00 pm”
This is how flour was mixed 70 years ago!
PERA!!! Dough balls have a very short life span. Soon after their birth they are crushed and flattened without mercy, then they are subjected to a burning furnace! Finally, they are then reborn as rotis
Anas Ahmad – Quality control
“… my day started at 11:30 with first cleaning our work area and removing any obstructions. I washed all the crates in which the rotis are piled, and so we started the machine at 12pm. I will work continuously until 8pm with a Namaz and lunch break. ”
Anas Ahmad, QC vs. stubborn roti
“…essentially, I have to make sure the rotis are being made to standard, checking if they’re over or under cooked. If that’s the case then I inform the control team to adjust the burner’s temperature accordingly.”
“…occasionally, the rotis get stuck inside the burner, so I fish them out with a rod. Alhamdulillah, we are currently producing rotis in their thousands and our aim is to make 4,000 rotis for the Inauguration”
PHULKA! A fully blown up roti is a sign of exceptional quality
Naseerudin Ahmad – Controls
“…I adjust the temperature at which rotis are baked at, the RPM output and the gas pressure, right now the temperature is 407 degrees Celsius.” (When the picture was taken the temperature went up 1 degree! )
Naseerudin Ahmad loves his machinery, here he shares a laugh with the controls“… I also do maintenance work. Alhamdulillah, I have 40 years of experience in mechanics, this has enabled me to be involved with this project from the very beginning, contributing with its installation and wiring.”
“… one remarkable aspect of this new roti machine is that it’s up and ready within 1-2 minutes after it’s switched on! So the whole process is incredibly smooth.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih questions workers on their roles
Chaudary Munawir Gill – Supply & distribution
“…I actually live in Germany and fly in every year to take part in Waqare – Amal for Jalsa. By the grace of Allah I’ve been operating machinery during Jalsa for the past 10 years, and had the chance to take part in the new roti plant project.”
Chaudary Munawir Gill – The transporter, name the place and the time and he’ll get the roti there.
“…my role is to deliver the rotis after they are packed. The main sites are Fazal mosque, Baitul Futuh, Islambad and Jamia Ahmadiyya where the guests enjoy the new and improved rotis.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih made two rounds of the plant and personally inspected all processes.
Awesome Stats !
# roti produced per hour: 10,000 ( that’s enough to feed the total average Jalsa attendance 3x over ! )
Weight of 1 roti: 70g (so it’s easy on the calories 🙂 )
Weight of atta (flour) used per hour: 560kg (over half a ton!)
# of rotis produced on the Jalsa inauguration: 4,000
Roti has been served. Please don’t forget to finish your whole plate instead of just eating the meat and leaving the poor ‘Aaloos’
The development of the Pitta Bread to fresh, hot and soft rotis has a deeper significance than just taste; it is another sign of the blessings of the Promised Messiah (as). The first Jalsa in Qadian had a total of just 70 guests who were given food prepared in Hadhrat Messih Maud’s (as) house by Hadhrat Amman Jaan herself. The guests were also personally supplied with duvets and rooms by Promised Messiah(as).
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih seemed happy with the process, but is still keeping a close eye on the plant.Today, by the grace of Allah 30,000 guests are served fresh food from separate langars, involving 120 cookers run by over 100 volunteers. So, this Jalsa let every mouthful of the new and delicious roti remind you of the JALSA THEME:
“Thus (O Allah) I become the proclaimer of thy blessings”
(Durre Samin)
Have you had the new roti? Tell us how awesome it is in the comments below! (After satisfying your hunger!)
