Makki Ki Roti (Cornmeal Flatbread)
Makki Ki Roti (Cornmeal Flatbread), topped with a dollop of unchurned butter and eaten with Sarson ka Saag is a winter favorite
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup cornmeal
- ¼ cup atta (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon ajwain (see notes)
- 2 tbsps ghee
- 1 cup water
- 5 tsps butter
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except the butter with your hands, kneading for 5-6 minutes to get a smooth dough.
- Chill the dough for 8-10 minutes as this makes it easier to shape the balls of dough.
- Shape the dough into five even balls. (see notes)
- Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment, one ball at a time.
- Cover with a second sheet of parchment.
- Press down gently with a saucepan to make a small disc.
- Use the rolling pin to gently flatten the disc shape you've made, trying to avoid cracking the roti.
- Roll the roti out to a circumference of 4 inches.
- Peel off the top sheet of parchment.
- Transfer the roti using the remaining parchment sheet onto your preheated tawa/frying pan and then peel the parchment off gently. (see notes)
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the roti is a deep yellow with some brown flecks on the surface.
- Place your cooked roti on a plate, place 1 teaspoon of butter on top and enjoy.
Notes
Atta - This flour is used to make South Asian flatbreads and is available at specialty stores or online stores. Derived from hard wheat, the milling process differs from the regular wheat flour found in US supermarkets, so substituting this is not recommended.
Fenugreek leaves - Dried fenugreek leaves are recommended for flavor and aroma, but if you can't source these, feel free to omit them.
Ajwain - Carom seeds, known as 'ajwain' in Pakistan's native Urdu, are delicious, fragrant, and good for digestion. They're added for flavor and to help aid with digestion. However, as with the fenugreek leaves, they can be omitted.
Shaping The Dough - Traditionally, these rotis are thick and large in circumference, and this amount of dough would make 4 Makki rotis. But slightly smaller ones are easier to handle, so I prefer to make 5. When shaping the balls of dough, you need to avoid cracks. To help with this, keep a bowl of ghee nearby and dip your hand in it, as it will help you shape the dough and ensure a smooth consistency.
Transferring the Roti to the Tawa - Using the parchment to transfer the roti is essential as the cornmeal dough's crumbly texture makes the bread transfer difficult without the sheet of paper. Similarly, if the parchment isn't peeled off gently, the roti will break apart on the tawa, so this part can also be tricky. I usually keep a clean napkin in the event that something breaks a little and gently press the cracked piece back into place.
Nutrition
Serving: 1rotiCalories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 512mgPotassium: 133mgFiber: 5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
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