For this month’s Indian Cooking Chalenge, Srivalli gave us the choice to prepare from two diferent Indian breads.I loved both the recipes , these are from Tarla Dalal and Sanjeev Kapoor’s cook books and I am an ardent fan of both.Incidentally we make lot of Bajra rotis in winter and rainy season.These are very popular in Gujarat and one must remember that if the millet is not freshly milled, it shall give you a bitter after taste.My part time maid is from a rabari community and these people survive on Bajri Rotlas. Rotlas are a thicker and a bigger version of roti About 250 gms of flour is used to make one rotla.The dough for each rotla is binded separately, for the second rotla you have to bind the dough fresh and all over again .These are made by clapping lightly with palms and with the finger tips. Normally made on a coal sigri and a clay gridle  these taste wonderful. For this post I asked my maid to make the authentic way, I just changed the size.

2 cups………. bajra flour

2………………… potatoes, boiled, mashed
1………………… onion, finely chopped
1tbsp………… garlic, ginger, green chilly paste
¼ tsp…………. garam masala
¼ tsp…………. red chilly pwd
Salt to taste
Pinch turmeric pwd (optional)
Small bunch coriander
Mix all ingredients, with your hands.
Using warm water, bind into a semi soft dough.
Make sure you do not make the dough very soft.
Duvide into 4 equal balls.
Roll them to 6’’ dia.
Cook on a gridle, adjusting the flame from full to slow.
Once cooked apply ghee or butter.

Note
One does not need to dust these with any dry flour.
These are difficult to roll, so one can roll them in plastic sheets.
The traditional way is to make them by clapping gently with both hands.
Little water is smeared on both hands and the ball is made flat, with fingers. Then clapped.
There is yet another method of making these rotlas. Check here.

I served the rotlas for dinner and made Tri daali Daal, jeera aaloo and gavar (cluster beans). Since we make these regularly , it was a routine task for me.I shall share the recipe for cluster beans some other time.

Besan Roti

The second recipe also has been very familiar, but my proportions vary. I make  the Besan Roti too, though not very regularly. I like this roti a little crisp, so it always breaks when I crush it. That , actually gives it a wonderful taste.

1cup……… chick pea flour
½ cup……. wheat flour
2tsp………. ghee
Salt to taste.
Bind a semi soft dough.
Filling
1 ½ tsp…… cumin pwd
½ tsp……… coriander pwd
¼ tsp……… turmeric pwd
½ tsp……… mango pwd
2 green chilly chopped
2tsp …………ghee
Mix all ingredients under filling.

How to prepare..
Divide the dough into 6 portions and make balls.
Roll into 4’’ disc.
Apply the masala filling.
Fold the disc into half.
Apply the masala again.
Fold into quarters.
This shall form a triangle.
Roll lightly .
Cook on a gridle,applying ghee till crisp and golden.
Crush with your hands .
Serve hot.
These parathas are really delicious and I enjoyed them with the Punjabi Mango Pickle that I made from a previous ICC  challenge.

Aaloo Bajra Roti & Besan Roti for ICC

9 thoughts on “Aaloo Bajra Roti & Besan Roti for ICC”

  1. OMG both the rotis look wonderful..great that your help could do that with her hands clapping. Infact I got athamma pat down the bajra rotis and she has another method that's quite hard for me. So I enjoyed seeing it..:)..Besan roti has come out so crispy and love your side dishes!

  2. Lovely Vaishali. I did both the rotis too and I'm partial towards besan roti more than the bajra roti (I guess my system just doesn't like healthy stuff….something to think about!!!)….

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