Raagi Rotti

Raagi (Finger Millets) Rottis are very nutritive as well as filling. In Karnataka, Raagi is used to make various dishes including porridges and the popular Raagi Mudde.

Raagi Rottis are made like Akki Rottis but with Raagi flour. This flour is readily available in Indian stores.

You will need:

1 ½ Cups Raagi Flour
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Green chilli paste (ground fresh green chillies)
1 tbsp Oil plus more for roasting
¼ cup chopped Cilantro
1 tsp Salt
¾ Cup Water (warm to the touch)

Combine raagi flour, onions, cilantro, salt, oil and green chilli paste in a medium bowl. Slowly add warm water and mix to form a soft smooth dough. The dough should not be sticky and if rolled into a ball, it should hold. It is softer than chapathi dough ( whole wheat flour dough)Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Oil a flat roasting pan or a non-stick pan. Make a small ball of the dough, place in centre of pan and gently pat into a circle; turn the pan while doing this so u get an even thickness. Drizzle with ½ tsp Oil on top and place on medium heat. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Flip rotti and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and serve hot. Make remaining rottis with the dough.

Since this rotti is already seasoned well, it requires no side dish to go along with it. But we enjoy it with a spicy pickle, ghee or with yoghurt. We had ours with Avvakai (Mango) pickle (courtesy: my dear Ajji :) )

Any dish made with Raagi keeps you full and energized for a long time.So this is ideal for breakfast.

Rottis are easy to make and taste great, they may seem intimidating at first and almost impossible to get right but once you get the hang of it, they are a breeze to make.

Thoothu Rotti with Eggplant curry

This is a dish I hadn’t quite dared to make on my own because I had never done it before. Thoothu Rottis are treated like a special dish, since the process of making it is time-consuming and a little hard on the arms (the shaping part).I finally learned it from mom when I was India a few months ago.

Thoothu means ‘hole’ in Kannada. The reason this rotti is called so is because it has a small hole in the centre. There are many ways to make steamed rice flour rottis, so each one is a given a name to make it easier to differentiate.

These steamed rice flour rottis are best served with a spicy eggplant curry. It is an unique combination, tasty to the last bite.

Thoothu Rotti:

1 Cup Rice Flour

2 Cups Water

1 tbsp Oil

½ tsp Salt

1 tbsp Chana Dal (Kadlebele)

1 tbsp powdered Jaggery

2 tbsp grated fresh coconut

Add the oil, chana dal, salt, jaggery and coconut to the water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place a wooden spoon in the pan and slowly add in the rice flour. Do not stir. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir vigorously to blend all the ingredients.

Knead well on an oiled plate till dough comes together. Divide into equal sized balls. Smear a thick plastic sheet with oil. Place dough on the sheet and flatten dough with your fingers, while turning the sheet clockwise.

If the dough begins to break apart, lightly wet your fingers and press pieces together. Make a small hole in the centre using the tip of your index finger. Transfer to a hot non-stick pan, and roast on both sides till crisp on the edges.

Eggplant curry:

You will need:

2 long Green eggplants, washed and stemmed

6 Green chillies, slit

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Chana Dal

1 tsp Urad Dal

2 tbsp Oil

Few curry leaves

1 Onion, chopped

2 tsp Rasam powder

½ Cup Tamarind juice

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Powdered jaggery

1 tbsp Ground Hurgadale (Dalia)

Cut eggplant into 1” pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and when it begins to splutter add the chana and urad dals. Saute for a few seconds and then add the curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for 30 seconds. Now add the chopped onions and sauté till soft. Stir in the eggplant and sauté on medium heat, for about 8-10 minutes till eggplant is cooked through. Now add the tamarind juice, jaggery, salt and rasam powder.

Bring to a simmering boil and let boil for 5 minutes. Make a smooth paste of dalia powder with water and add to the curry. This will thicken the curry. Let boil for another 2-3 ,minutes and serve hot with Rottis.

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Onion Rottis/Eerulli Rotti

A.k.a Akki rottis. Not a dish I liked before but now I do, because I know how to make it well and also my tastebuds have become more accommodating, in regards to Eerulli rotti – Onion Rotti. There are many versions of this rotti, but this is how we like it best. If you like Onions, this is the dish for you!

You will need:

2 Cups Rice flour (I use Swad brand, works best)

1 Cup chopped Red onions

2 large carrots, grated

2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tsp Green chilli paste

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Warm water, as required

Combine all ingredients except water, in a medium bowl. Slowly stream in warm water and begin to mix dough. Everything should come together and if scooped to one end of the bowl, the dough should hold. That’s the consistency of the dough. Cover and let sit for atleast 2 hours, so that the flavours can come together. The longer the dough sits, the better the taste of the rotti.

Oil a non-stick pan or an alluminium plate (which is stove-top safe).These rottis need to be shaped by hand so don’t heat the pan. Place a small ball of the dough on the pan.Pat into thin rottis, wet fingers as you go so that the patting is easier. Drizzle ¼ tsp of oil on top and place the pan on the stove.

Cover and roast on medium heat. Covering helps cook both sides. When the upper side is done, uncover and roast for another minute or two, this makes the rotti crisp . When done, fold and serve hot with your favourite pickle, ghee and/or plain yoghurt.

To make the next rotti, cool the back of the pan under cold running water and you can immediately pat another rotti on the pan. And if you are using non stick pans, wait till pan cools rather running it under cold water, could make the pan bend.

Akki Rotti with Ennegayi (Steamed Rice Rotis with Eggplant Curry)

Akki Rotti is a specialty in Karnataka. Akki is the Kannada translation for Rice. There are two ways to make Akki Rotti, one is to use rice flour in a dough like form with chopped onions and chillies, patted onto pans and roasted to a crisp served with various condiments. Another way is to steam the rice flour in a open pan with water, made in to a dough and then rolled like chapathis with a rolling pin. This tastes a lot different from the former. But this doesn't stop either from being a household favourite for any kannadiga.

Akki Rotti

You will need:

1 ¾ cups Rice flour

¼ cup Whole Wheat flour

1 tsp Salt

3 Cups Water

1 tsp Oil

Mix wheat flour and rice flour. Bring water to a boil. Add salt and oil. Place wooden spoon (handle side in the water) in the middle and add the flour in the centre to form a peak. Do not stir.Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir quickly with the help of the wooden spoon to make a lump less soft dough. While its still hot transfer to a lightly oiled plate or surface and knead well. The more you knead the easier it will be roll into rottis.

Make small balls and flatten it using a rolling pan. Dredge in rice flour when dough gets sticky or hard to roll. Toast on a hot pan on both sides. Serve hot with Ennegayi.

Ennegayi or Guthavankaya

Ennegayi is in Kannada and Guthavankaya is in Telugu. Ennegayi is famous in North Karnataka as well as in the coffee estates of serene Coorg down south. Guthavankaya is the typical Andhra favourite. There are many ways to make this dish and whatever the method, the end result should be a spicy lip smacking Eggplant curry.

Ennegayi is usually had with Jowar Rottis, but the curry goes well with almost any such rotti.

My mom-in-law taught me how to make this curry.

You will need:

6-8 Small Egg plants, washed and wiped dry

2 tsp White Sesame seeds

2 tsp Corriander seeds

6-7 dry red chillies

¼ cup Grated fresh coconut

2 tbsp Fried Gram (Hurgadale)

4 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

Few curry leaves

A pinch Asafetida (hing)

Salt to taste

2 Cups Water

Cut Eggplants in a X in the centre till the stem, so that the eggplant remains intact as a whole. Dry toast the sesame seeds, coriander seeds and the dry red chillies. Cool and grind to a fine powder in a blender. Add the grated coconut and fried gram and make a smooth paste using water as required.

Fill the cut eggplants with a little of the ground paste. This helps flavour the eggplants as they cook.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves. When the mustard begins to splutter add the ground masala paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the filled eggplants, salt and water enough to cover the eggplants. Close lid and place weight on the cooker. Let cook on medium high heat for 2 whistles. Turn off heat, stir, check for seasoning and serve with Akki Rottis.

Steamed Wheat Rotis and Daal Fry

There are so many exciting events on in the blogosphere and I'm sure all of us are busy deciding what to make for which event. I made these dishes long ago but hadn't got a chance to post them, so decided to do them now.

Steamed Wheat Rotis

These are not your ordinary chapathis. Wheat flour is steamed/cooked in boiling water and then made into a dough.

You will need:

2 Cups Wheat Flour

2 Cups Water

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Oil

Bring water to a boil. Add the salt and oil. Place a wooden spoon in the pot and then add the wheat flour. Do not stir. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 15 minutes uncovered. Turn off heat and stir quickly using the wooden spoon to make a lump free soft dough. Knead the dough while its hot. Roll into large flat rounds, larger than regular chapathis. As you roast them on a hot pan, the dough tends to shrink, so make big ones. Serve hot with Daal Fry.

The kneaded dough dries out quickly so keep unused dough covered with a wet cloth till ready to use or when rolling the rotis.

Daal Fry

Daal Fry is a very good combination with these Steamed Wheat Rotis, for lack of a better name the dish has been christened Daal Fry

1 cup Tuar dal

5-6 Dry red chillies

1 onion cubed

4-5 Garlic pods chopped

1 tsp Whole pepper

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Few curry leaves

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

½ tsp Tamarind paste

2-3 cups Water

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin and mustard seeds, when it begins to splutter add the whole pepper, dry red chillies and the curry leaves. Saute for a minute and then add the chopped garlic and onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes till onions are soft and garlic is light brown. Now add the washed, drained Tuar Dal and sauté for 2 minutes. Add water, stir and close cooker lid. Place weight on lid and cook on high, 3 whistles.

Let cool a little, add tamarind paste and salt, bring to a boil. Serve hot with Wheat Rotis. Sautéing the Tuar Dal brings a unique flavour to the dish.

Daal Fry is my entry to "JFI- Toor Dal" hosted by Linda of Out of the Garden . Daal Fry is a one pot dish and can be made in as little as 30-35 minutes (counting the pressure cooking part too)

Steamed Wheat Rotis is my entry to the "Powerless Cooking" event hosted by Easy Cooking Blog

RCI:K -- Rasam and Sambar powders, Rave Rotti

More entries to this month's RCI:K, being from Karnataka its impossible to stop with just a few entries :) I often make Rasam and Sambar and use both the powders, I thought it would be a good idea to have the recipes to make these powders in one post so that I can refer back to it any time. Rasam powder, Sambar powder and Rave Rotti are my entries to Asha's RCI:K.

Rasam Powder

¾ cup Byadagi dry red chillies
¼ cup Guntur dry red chillies
2 cups Corriander seeds
1 ½ cups Cumin seeds
½ cup Whole black pepper
½ cup Fenugreek seeds (Methi seeds)
½ cup Mustard seeds
¾ tsp Asafetida
4-5 whole turmeric bits
3-4 cups Curry leaves

Lightly roast each of the above separately in a pan and grind all together to a fine powder. This is Rasam powder and can be used to make different varieties of Rasams. Store in an air tight container at room temperature and use as required.

Sambar powder

1 cup Corriander seeds
½ cup Cumin seeds
1 ½ tbsps Whole black pepper
1 ½ tbsps Mustard seeds
1 ½ tbsps Fenugreek seeds
¾ cup Urad dal
¾ cup Chana dal
1 cup Curry leaves
¼ tsp Asafetida
1 Whole turmeric bit
¾ cup Dry red chillies
½ cup Poppy seeds
1 cup Dry coconut grated

Lightly roast each of the above and grind together into a fine powder. This is Sambar powder. Store in a air tight container at room temperature and use as required.

Rave Rotti

This is the first time I tried Rave(semolina) rotti, my mom used to make this very often when I was back in India. Last night I was deciding what to make for dinner and thought of Rave rotti but didn’t have the recipe. Was too late to call mom so I had to go by memory…it did turn out good I must say!

You will need:

2 cups Regular Rava (Semolina- Upma Rava)
1 ½ onions finely chopped
1 tsp Green chilli paste
½ cup chopped coriander
Salt to taste
¾ cup Thick curd (yoghurt)
Water as required
Non stick pan or pans used to make Rottis

Toast the semolina on a low flame till it becomes light and fragrant. Let cool. Add the other ingredients and mix to form a pliable dough. Keep aside for atleast an hour, the longer the better.

Smear oil on the non-stick pan. These rottis need to be hand patted so don’t heat the pan. Place a small ball of the dough on the pan.Pat into thin rottis, wet fingers as you go so that the patting is easier. Pour ¼ tsp of oil on top and place the entire pan on the stove.

Cover and roast on medium flame. Covering helps cook both sides. When the upper side is done, uncover and roast for another minute or two, this helps crisp the rotti a little. When done, fold and serve hot with your favourite pickle and ghee.

To make the next rotti, cool the back of the pan under running cold water and you can immediately pat another rotti on the pan. When you have guests its best to use two pans. And if you are using non stick pans,wait till pan cools rather running it under cold water, could make the pan bend.