Jowar roti
Jowar Roti (or Bhakri) is a nutritious, gluten-free flatbread made from sorghum flour. It is a naturally cooling food, best enjoyed in summers. A cornerstone of rural Indian cuisine, it is prized for its high fiber content and its ability to pair perfectly with spicy curries and pithla. Unlike wheat rotis, jowar dough lacks gluten, so it is typically prepared using hot water to gelatinize the starch, making the dough pliable enough to roll out into rotis or hand-pat into circles. It is roasted on a hot iron tawa (griddle), until it achieves those characteristic golden-brown spots. Expect a slightly nutty flavor and a hearty, firm texture that stands up beautifully to thick dals and chutneys. Best served hot with a smear of white butter or ghee to enhance its earthy aroma.
Equipment
- 1 vessel
- 1 large spoon
- 1 spatula
- 1 rolling board
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 tawa or pan
- 1 phulka grill or roti jhali
Ingredients
- 1 cup jowar atta or flour
- 1 cup water
- salt to taste
- 2 tsps wheat flour + 4 tbsps water
- 1/2 cup jowar flour for dusting
Instructions
- Boil 1 cup water. Once it starts boiling add a slurry of 2 tsps wheat flour and 4tbsps water to it. Add salt to taste.
- Now switch off the flame and add 1 cup jowar flour into the water and mix fast with a large spoon or spatula till the flour and water all come together in a dough. Now cover the lid and leave the dough to cool a bit for 10 mins until it is cool enough to handle.
- Now after 10 mins transfer the dough to a plate and knead it into a smooth ball while it is still warm. You can apply some oil to your hands while kneading. Now pinch out some dough and make small balls.
- Cover the balls with a vessel or wet cloth and let them rest for 15 mins before rolling them out. It is important to let the balls rest for 15 mins before rolling them out as jowar is a gluten free grain. Unlike wheat, jowar has no gluten to provide elasticity. During the rest (ideally 15 to 20 minutes), the starches in the flour swell. This creates a more cohesive, "plastic" dough that can be stretched or rolled without snapping. So please make sure you do not skip this step or else your rotis will keep breaking up while rolling out.
- Before rolling out each ball knead the ball again on the rolling board.
Frying the jowar rotis
- Ensure the tawa is heated to the appropriate temperature. It should be very hot but not smoking hot. Do the temperature test by sprinkling some water on the tawa. The water droplets should at once sizzle and evaporate. Now your tawa is ready to receive the roti.
- Place your roti jhali on the other flame and keep it ready.
- Now make the flame low and place your rolled out roti on the tawa. Cook on one side until half done. Now flip over and cook on the other side until you see bubbles starting to rise.
- Transfer the roti to the roti jhali on the other flame and make the flame high.
- The jowar roti will fluff up like a phulka roti. At once remove it from the flame and transfer to a plate.
- Likewise fry all the remaining rotis.
- Soft and delicious jowar rotis are ready!. Enjoy with steaming hot vegetables or pithla.