I remember the first time I tasted a rotlo. I was about 5. My family had just moved back to India and I was just getting used to life without breakfast cereals. One night my mom made these dense dark flat breads for the family. They looked different from the traditional wheat rotli I was used to eating. In fact, my mom assumed my brother and I wouldn’t eat them and made something else for us.
I saw the enthusiam with which my dad and grandpa ate them though and was inspired to try them. I was given half a freshly baked rotlo, a dollop of ghee and some jaggery on a little plate. (Jaggery is dried sugar cane juice that still contains molasses). I broke off a little piece, dipped it in ghee and jaggery. I was slightly unsure about how this fat, dark bread would taste. But the second I tasted it I was in love.
Rotlo, known as a bajra roti in Hindi, has an earthy flavor that is so delicious with the caramel flavors of jaggery. And adding ghee to anything never hurts!
Millet Flat Bread (Bajri no Rotlo)
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 2 cups millet flour bajri or bajra flour plus a little extra for dusting
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ghee use coconut oil to keep it vegan
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the bajri flour and salt.
- Add the water and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth dough that looks a little like clay.
- Divide the dough into six equal parts.
- Roll each piece of dough between your palms forming a ball and then press the ball between your palms to flatten, creating a disc shape.
- Line your rolling surface with a sheet of parchment or plastic. Skip this step if you are confident in your rolling abilities. Having the parchment helps to avoid sticking and makes it easy to transfer the rolled out flat bread to the pan.
- Take one disc of dough, make sure to cover the rest so they don’t dry out, and press both sides into the extra bajri flour.
- Place the disc onto the parchment or plastic sheet. Sprinkle some more dry bajri flour on top of the disc and roll it out into about a 6 inch disc. Add more dry flour as needed.
- Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet or a non-stick skillet (if using non-stick, heat with a tablespoon of oil and wipe the oil away when ready to cook the flat bread) over a medium heat.
- Put a single rotlo on the pan. Brush the top with some water.
- After about two minutes, when the rotlo has a few bubbles and starts to brown underneath, flip the rotlo over.
- When the rotlo is evenly cooked on both sides, remove it from the pan and toast it directly over the flame for about 20 to 30 seconds. Make sure to move the rotlo around to avoid burning.
- Transfer to a platter and brush with 2 teaspoons of ghee or coconut oil.
Comments on "Gluten-Free Millet Flat Bread (Bajri no Rotlo)"
zosia:
Thank you for the recipe and the video.
You and your mother are lovely!
Hari Chandana:
Wonderful video.. You look gorgeous, Puja! :)
mel:
Just made these and they were so easy and tasty, especially with the curried pumpkin I made to go with it...really like that it's yeast free and egg free, very lovely recipe!
Eileen:
Thank you so much for this gluten free recipe. For years I've missed out on making my own Indian breads. I will get some millet and try this.
Julie Van Buskirk:
If you don't have a gas stove how do you brown it?
francoise:
love this, have just ground some millet in a spice grinder to get flour as not so easy to get here. can't wait to make these!
Kelly:
These look really good, I'm making them tonight to be apart of an eggplant sandwich. I really enjoyed the video, your mom seems really cool!
Kazik:
Hello, thats a very nice recipe and movie. I was wondering how You can get rid of millet bitter aftertaste. When I make millet grain, not as flour, I usually roast or soak it for a few hours. After that usually bitter taste is gone.
Or maybe it is not bitter when flour is made from roasted grains and my store-bought isn't?
Thanks,
cheers!
Booker Moore:
PROTIP: Leave the rolling pin for another use. Instead, flatten your flat bread using a pyrex pie dish and parchment paper, as explained here http://www.neighborfoodblog.com/2012/10/how-to-make-corn-tortillas-without.html
Alexa:
Thank you for posting this recipe! Can you tell me what kind of millet flour you use? I tried Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Millet Flour, which is a yellow color. (I notice your seems to be more of a white color) My rotlis did not bubble at all and tended to fall apart.
jak archer:
thanks for this
Nancy:
Hi Puja, these look amazing! One question - can they be frozen and/or stored (in the fridge?) for a few days?
Nancy:
Thanks Puja, I'll give it a try!
Heidi:
Millet flour is the worst I have ever worked with. Used a tortilla press and baking paper to flatten these but they still cracked. Any suggestions?
Melanie Ford:
This is a good recipe and nearly exactly the way my Abuela from Zihuatanejo causes it to be I'm excited to try out some of the additional recipes Kristin! I really like your answers how everyone has gaps in their own kitchen and that you aren't scared to step outside the box. Keep this up! For your"women" who bashed; pity you! What happened to others!
Fran:
I made these and loved them with peanut butter. Sprinkling some water on the bread while cooking is a very important step I found and helps them not fall apart. Cook on well seasoned cast iron.