Makki Di Roti – Cornmeal or Polenta Flatbreads
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Makki di roti are delicious flatbreads, cooked on a tava (flat frying pan) but shaped with your hands, not on a board. They are made from corn flour and usually eaten with saag, primarily a Punjabi bread, crunchy on the outside and soft inside. It is gluten free and typically eaten with saag or in cold, winter months.
** The best thing about this dish – it’s naturally gluten free **
** The worse thing – very difficult to shape these, but you know me, lots of tips to help you along the way **
My mum is an expert maker of these, rolling and shaping in her hands, without any boards, cooked to perfection and I can’t compete, her’s puff up when cooking, mine never do, but I only make them once a year, at Lohri, mine are still very edible and delicious with saag.
A little trick is to shape using cling film on a board and with your hands or tease with a rolling pin.
Another tip,since working with gluten free flours, I’ve learnt a 1/2 teaspoon of xantham gum can help shape these breads, so please try of you have any in your store cupboard.
Please make sure you take your time when cooking these, they can cause a terrible upset tummy if not cooked through.
I won’t claim to be an expert, you need to practice but I did make the one in the photo and I think you will agree, it’s ok, isn’t it?
Ingredients
Instructions
Place the cornmeal in a big bowl with the xantham gum and give the flour a mix.
Pour in a cup of boiling water and give the mix a big stir. You may need extra water to form a dough, this flour absorbs water and rarely can you mess up the dough.
The dough soon cools down enough to for you to handle and keep a glass of warm water to help shape them.
Roughly take one/sixth of the mix to the side of the bowl and knead the mix until it starts forming a ball.
Put a medium heat on the tava or solid frying pan.
Take the ball and place on the clingfilm, with plenty of water to keep the ball moving and shape into a round, fixing as you go along.
This is usually done with hands but I suggest you use a rolling pin.
You are looking for a medium roundish shape.
Place the roti on the hot tava, pulling the cling away now and do not move the roti from the heat until it comes away from the pan itself, if you try to flip it earlier, it will just stick to the pan and make a mess.
Once the first side moves freely, flip this over and allow it to cook.
You may choose to be brave and give the bread a final cook directly on a gas flame, if you do not have a gas hob, then just cook on the tava or frying pan.
Start the process again until all the breads are cooked, serve warm, with lots of butter, saag and plain yoghurt.
Dairy free versions of butter and yoghurt work well.
Many like to serve this with raw onion and fresh chillies - enjoy1
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