Missi Roti
This healthy and traditional Indian flat bread combines the goodness of whole wheat and black chickpea (black gram). However, this step by step photo recipe of missi roti is not just about combining the wheat flour and gram flour and making roti – the onion, green chillies and carefully chosen blend of spices, makes it tastier and curd (plain yogurt) gives it soft texture. There are two popular variants of it – Rajasthani and Punjabi, and this recipe discusses about how they differ from each other and how can you make your preferred variant at home – you can chose to add carom seeds to make Rajasthani missi roti or add fenugreek leaves (see tips section below) to make punjabi style misi roti.
| Ingredients: |
| 3/4 cup Gram Flour (besan flour) |
| 3/4 cup (for dough) + 1/2 cup (for dusting) Whole Wheat Flour |
| 1 Large Onion, finely chopped |
| 1 Green Chilli, finely chopped |
| 1/3 teaspoon Carom Seeds (ajwain) |
| 2 tablespoons Thick Curd (plain yogurt) |
| 1/4 teaspoon Dry Mango Powder (amchur powder) |
| 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder |
| 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder |
| 2 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon Oil |
| Ghee or Oil for shallow frying |
| Salt to taste |
Directions:
- Take gram flour, whole-wheat flour, finely chopped onion, chopped green chilli, carom seeds, thick curd, dry mango powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, 2 teaspoons oil and salt in a medium size bowl.
- Mix all ingredients with your hand. Add water little by little and knead smooth and soft dough like paratha dough. Cover it with muslin cloth and keep aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, grease the dough with 1-teaspoon oil and knead it again.
- Grease your hands with small amount of oil; divide dough into 8 equal portions and give them a round shape of balls.
- Take each dough ball and slightly flatten it by pressing it in-between of your palms or on rolling board and give a pattie like shape. Take 1/2 cup dry wheat flour in a plate for dusting. Take one pattie, coat it with dry wheat flour on all sides and place on rolling board.
- Roll it out into slightly thick disc shaped roti having approx diameter of 5-6 inches using rolling pin.
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium flame. When it is hot enough, place one disc on it and cook until tiny bubbles starts to rise on top surface. Flip it and reduce flame to low. Spread 1/2-teaspoon ghee on the surface using spatula and cook it for a minute.
- Again flip it and increase flame to medium. Spread 1/2-teaspoon ghee evenly on another side and cook for 30-40 seconds. Repeat flip and cook process (no need to spread ghee this time) for 1-2 times until golden brown spots appear evenly on both the sides. This indication helps in knowing whether roti cooked or not.
- Transfer it to a plate. Prepare remaining discs and cook them in the same manner by following steps 5 to 9. Hot missi rotis are ready and serve as desired (see serving ideas given below).
Tips and Variations:
- Add 1/2-teaspoon chat masala powder and 2-tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves step-1 for a different taste.
- Skip carom seeds and add 1/2 tablespoon roasted and crushed anar-dana (dry pomegranate seeds), 1/2 tablespoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves or 3 tablespoons fresh methi leaves) and 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves while preparing dough to give it punjabi touch.
- Traditionally, missi roti is cooked directly over flame. To make it in a traditional way, when tiny bubbles start to rise on the surface, flip it and cook for a minute (step-7 above) then remove griddle from flame and place half-cooked roti directly on flame. Flip and cook on both sides until light brown spots appear on both the sides of roti.
Taste: Mild spicy and salty with soft texture
Serving Ideas: There is a special way of enjoying its goodness – spread dollop of butter or ghee on the surface of this appetizing bread and enjoy it with your favorite daal (dal tadka, healthy moong daal) or sabji like dry aloo palak. Alternatively, enjoy it with a plain curd and pickle. You can also serve it with tea as morning breakfast or pack it in your kid’s lunchbox.