Khoba Roti (Indian flat bread)

It is simply amazing to know how Indian culture has so many variations of flat bread. I came across preparation of Khoba roti recently and fell in love with how it is made, the technique, its texture, how it tastes. Everything about it is unique, pretty and yum! It comes from Rajasthan- a land of bright colors, folk culture, camels, sand, forts, mahals, sun, dances, clay pots, rusticness etc and then there's their food!! Papad ki sabji, dal bati churma, lal maas, meva pulao, missi roti hmmm so many traditional dishes. I will be posting most of it soon...:) Stay tuned! :)

Let us take a look at this decorative Khoba Roti recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (traditionally they use coarse flour)
• 2 tbsp ghee warm
• salt to taste
• water to knead (around 1/2 cup)

Preparation:
Take wheat flour in a mixing bowl, add warm ghee over it, salt and mix it with your fingers or a fork. I prefer to do it with my hands...get all that love in there :) and get some gentle exercise for your fingers!:)
Now add water little by little and knead to make a dough, should be stiff dough and not soft like we knead for chapatis. Close it with a lid and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Make equal portions of dough. Take tennis ball size portion (yes big portion) and roll it into 5-6 inches round shape disc. Don't roll it out thin, it should stay thick.
Make some marks with a knife on one side.
Heat a tawa/griddle and place this khoba roti with knife marks facing down. Let it cook for some time about a minute.

• Turn the khoba roti and cook for very little time maybe 30 sec. Turn around and with 2 fingers[ index and thumb] pinch the roti all around in circles. If the roti is too hot for you to handle use flat tongs to pinch the roti, it makes a beautiful impression and design.

• This method is used to cook the roti evenly as it is rolled out thick. Don't add any oil or ghee while roasting.
• Once the pinching is done, take it out from the tawa and place it directly on the stove with the pinched surface facing the stove heat.

• Move it evenly using tongs till all sides are cooked. Take it out and add ghee in the dips created due to pinching. Serve with any spicy gravy/curry or potato sabji. It is delicious!!!!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

note*: If you add ghee khoba roti will be soft to eat, if you don't it will get little hard.

You may also like papad ki sabji, khatti dal

Health Benefits: This whole wheat is a rich source of vitamin (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9), iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium etc so you should not avoid roti in your diet. It has soluble fibre to help clean plaque from blood vessels and prevent constipation. Doesn’t make your blood sugar shoot up and then crash. If you add ghee, you are getting more calories but ghee has its own set of benefits too. If you are on strict dieting avoid it, else add a dollop of ghee and enjoy these swadhisht Khoba rotis!