Shital's-Kitchen: Bajra Rotla: Millet Flat Bread

Winter break begins... temperatures are actually dropping. Climate is getting super cold and it totally feels like December. It has also started snowing in few parts of the country and the first food item that Gujju moms would recommend would be Bajra millet flatebread or rotla with Gud and ghee.

Bajra is a gluten free grain millet which is grown in large areas of Western and Central India making it staple food in those regions. Being a Gujarati my family loves Bajra Rotla. As I was born and brought up in Mumbai, Bajra Rotla was not staple in our house, it was a winter delicacy with ghee and Gud/jaggery which is made from sugarcane juice. The combination of Bajra and Gud provide heat and energy during cold winter months, and are great strength providing foods. Even new-moms are given Bajra rotla and Gud for strength and it is believed to be a great post pregnancy food.

Bajra rotla is a versatile flat bread, a staple flat bread that is gaining popularity due to its nutritional benefits and now more and more people are including bajra flour in lot of recipes. Bajra pancakes, Bajra cakes, Bajra muthiya, Bajra khakra, Bajra paratha, and more. Like I said Bajra rotla is very versatile, it pairs easily with not only ghee and gud, but also with winter veggies like different variety of peas, and eggplants. It is served with eggplant odo as a complete delicious meal.

So our lunch today was Eggplant odo (baingan bharta) or smoky eggplant dip that was cooked by my husband and my mother -in -law while sitting around charcoal heat. I made Bajra rotla and we had a perfect meal ready within 30 minutes. It is very easy to make bajra rotla and with more trials you can perfect the recipe soon. Do not get intimidated by so many steps. I have tried my best to explain it and make it easy for you.

Ingredients to make 8-10 Bajra rotlas. (Serves 3-4 people)

2 cups bajra flour (I used Deep food Bajri Flour)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup warm milk

1 cup warm water

Ghee to apply on cooked rotla

Mix bajra flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.
Add warm milk and start making the dough.
Add some warm water at a time and make a soft dough. (Around 1/2 cup water)
Leave remaining water aside. You will use it later.
Knead the dough well for 3-4 minutes.
Leave the dough aside for 15 minutes. This will give flour an opportunity to absorb water,
Keep a rolling board, water, dry flour, and the dough ready to start making the flat bread rotla.
Heat clay tawa griddle. You can also use regular cast iron griddle but I like to use the clay one for this. Heat this for around 5-7 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8-10 equal parts.
Pick each part. Dip into water and knead the ball of dough in your palms. The dough needs to be soft as clay. With more trials you will be able to make the perfect soft dough. The stiff dough will produce rotla that would be dry and have more cracks on the sides and the center. To avoid that, you need a soft clayey dough.
Dip the dough in dry flour and place of rolling board. Pat the dough to flatten it. Occasionally lift the flattened dough to make sure it does not stick to the rolling board. use dry flour if needed. Check my video below.
Place the flattened dough bread on hot clay tawa griddle and cook on medium heat.
Apply some water over the rotla. This is only done once for the rotla to cook well and avoid it from cracking.
After 2-3 minutes flip the rotla and cook on the other side.
Place the rotla on open fire. This could help rotla to puff and cook even well and give it charred look and flavor.
Remove from fire and apply ghee.
Serve with onion, garlic chutney, gud, odo, or veggies of your choice.
Enjoy delicious winter delicacy!

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Mix bajra flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.

Add warm milk and start making the dough.

Add some warm water at a time and make a soft dough. (Around 1/2 cup water)

Leave remaining water aside. You will use it later.

Knead the dough well for 3-4 minutes.

Leave the dough aside for 15 minutes. This will give flour an opportunity to absorb water,

Keep a rolling board, water, dry flour, and the dough ready to start making the flat bread rotla.

Pick each part. Dip into water and knead the ball of dough in your palms. The dough needs to be soft as clay. With more trials you will be able to make the perfect soft dough. The stiff dough will produce rotla that would be dry and have more cracks on the sides and the center. To avoid that, you need a soft clayey dough.

Dip the dough in dry flour and place of rolling board. Pat the dough to flatten it. Occasionally lift the flattened dough to make sure it does not stick to the rolling board. use dry flour if needed.

Place the flattened dough bread on hot clay tawa griddle and cook on medium heat.