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Mandua ki roti

मंडुए की रोटी: Uttarakhand's dark finger-millet flatbread, made with hot water and shaped by hand

Mandua, or finger millet, is the grain that hill farmers in Uttarakhand have relied on for generations, and its roti is the staple of a pahadi winter kitchen. The rotis come out dark brown, slightly sweet and earthy, and they are eaten hot from the tawa with a spoon of ghee, kafuli or a bowl of chainsoo, sometimes with jaggery on the side. With no gluten to hold it together the dough is fragile, so cooks pat it out between wet palms rather than rolling it. Chef's tip: knead the dough in two small batches with hot water; millet dough dries and cracks quickly, so the second batch stays fresh while you cook the first.
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
3
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Ingredients

Serves3

For the rotis

To serve

Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Mix 9 oz gluten-free finger millet flour (mandua or ragi) and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Put half aside, covered. To the other half, add about ½ cup hot water little by little, stirring with a spoon until it comes together; it will be too hot to touch at first.

    2 min
  2. Step 2: Once it's cool enough to handle, knead firmly with the heel of your hand for 2–3 minutes until smooth, soft and no longer crumbly. Wet your hands if it cracks. The common mistake is mixing all the flour at once: the dough dries out before you finish and the rotis break.

    3 min
  3. Step 3: Heat a tawa or heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat. Divide the dough into 3 balls. Wet your palms and pat one ball into a round about 14cm across and 4mm thick, turning it as you go. If that's tricky, press it out between two sheets of baking paper.

    2 min
  4. Step 4: Lay the roti on the hot tawa and cook for 1–1½ minutes until the top looks dry and dull. Flip and cook the second side for 1 minute until a few brown spots appear.

    3 min
  5. Step 5: Lift it with tongs and hold it directly over a medium gas flame for 10–15 seconds per side until it puffs in patches. (On an electric hob, press the edges with a cloth on the tawa instead.)

    1 min
  6. Step 6: Repeat with the rest, then knead the second batch of flour with the remaining ½ cup hot water and cook those too. Brush with 2 tbsp ghee and serve straight away; millet rotis stiffen as they cool.

    9 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
280 kcal
Protein
7 g
Carbs
56 g
Fat
3 g
Fibre
9 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does mandua ki roti take?
About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.

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