Makki ki Roti, a Punjabi staple in the winters, is a grilled, unleavened flat bread made with maize flour. It is usually eaten with sarson ka saag which is vegetable dish prepared using mustard leaves. The combination of makki ki roti and sarson ka saag is delicious and one cannot speak of one without mentioning the other. It is seasonally prepared during the winter months in the state of Punjab and its surrounding areas. In fact, this is a much sought-after comfort food during the winter months.
Anita Kumari left her home in Jharkhand about 9 years ago to come to Delhi for work. She loves cooking. She has the gift to cook delicious meals and serves them with love. She has a whole family back home whom she supports but enjoys her stay in Delhi.
She has become independent, tech. savvy and proudly dresses up to go out. Her gentle and loving nature shows in her food preparations which are unhurried and delicious.
Makki atta/flour is made from corn/maize seeds. The outer green coating of corn or the hull is removed and the corn seeds are finely ground to make flour. This flour has all the nutritional benefits of corn seeds.
While it is mainly a source of carbohydrate, it is also high in fibre content, making it a complex carbohydrate. Due to its high fibre content, it releases its sugar in the blood very slowly and is very healthy for the body and heart. For patients with wheat intolerance, corn is a good source of carbohydrate. Corn also has a very low fat content. It is also a source of folic acid, phosphorous and vitamins like B1, B5, C, E and carotene.
Makki flour does not have the binding qualities of wheat flour. Anita Kumari’s recipe for Makki ki Roti is makes it easy to cook, even for a lay person. To aid in the rolling, she adds 1/4th of all purpose flour to the makki flour. She also adds some oil, salt and red chilli powder to the mixture.
Makki ki Roti
Maize Flour Flat Bread
Ingredients ~
1 cup makki/corn/maize flour
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
Salt and red chilli powder to taste
Water for kneading
Options ~
1 white radish, grated
2 green chillies, chopped
Method ~
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Add the oil and enough water to knead the flour into a stiff dough.
3. Cover and keep aside for 15 minutes.
4. If using white radish, squeeze the grated radish and use its juice to knead the dough. If more liquid is required, use some water.
5. Take enough dough to form a small ball the size of a golf ball.
6. Dust it in plain flour and roll it into a round disc, the thickness of 1/4th of an inch.
7. Heat a frying pan or tava and dry cook the roti on both sides till brown blisters form.
8. Coat with a little ghee and cook till crisp, turn and cook the other side in the same way.
~ Serve hot with Sarson ka Saag, radish, onions, chillies.