Video recipe: Avarekalu Ragi Rotti - Flatbread made with finger millet flour, vegetables, greens and hyacinth bean
This classic rotti dates back to centuries in South India. Ragi, is a major staple of rural Karnataka. It is a millet that is rich in protein, minerals and fiber. Combine that with coconut, red chilies, ginger and avarekalu (hyacinth bean), and you have this mouth watering, crunchy roti/bread. Pair it with butter, chutney, pickle, or and omelet, and voila, a wholesome breakfast! Try it.
Serves 4 - makes about 8-10 rottis
- 2 cups Ragi flour (Finger millet flour)
- 1 cup fine semolina
- 1 cup avarekalu (hyacinth beans) fresh or frozen
- 1 cup finely chopped scallions and greens (dill, cilantro)--Optional
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup finely chopped dill
- 1 cup red onion, sliced thin
- 1/4 inch ginger grated
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup grated fresh/dry coconut
- 2 tsp coarse red pepper flakes with seeds
- Bring 2 cups of water and avarekalu beans to a rolling boil with a little salt. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- Pulse coconut and chilies in a mixer, pulse it to a coarse powder, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flours, the coarse coconut and chili powder, prepped vegetables and salt.
- Add hot water and knead gently, till it forms a soft dough consistency.
- Take a large lemon sized dough, place it on a greased paper or silicon sheet. Pat evenly to flatten it out with your hands. (You may also put a top layer of plastic sheet on it and roll it out gently with a rolling pin, if you find it easier). Once the dough is thinner than a cookie and about 6 inches wide, it is ready to be cooked.
- If you have access to banana leaves, they are the best! Wash, dry and grease the banana leaf, Flatten dough ball over this.
- Use a flat nonstick pan or regular flatbread fry pan.
- Heat the pan on medium to a smoking consistency, wipe it with half a shallot dipped in oil, this gives a nonstick coating, the old fashioned way.
- Turn the flattened rotti, face down on the pan and pat down gently. Carefully peel out the paper holding one edge. Let it cook on medium heat. You may add a little oil to the edges. Lift the edges a bit to see the color, if its golden brown, flip it to the other side, carefully and gently.
- Let it cook the same way on the other side too. Once cooked, smear a tiny dollop of butter over it and serve warm. Enjoy!