South Indian Rice Roti: a delicate, richly flavored flatbread from Karnataka

Guest post by Big Apple Curry inspiration Geetha, who is my mother and lives in Toronto

Rice roti is one of my favorite Indian flatbreads. The aroma of buttery ghee spread across a hot rice roti immediately takes me back to my childhood in India. My mother, who was a great cook, would make these for us early in the morning for breakfast. This homemade roti is unlike anything available in restaurants or markets. South Indian rice roti is soft to the touch and has a delicate, rich taste. Because the flour mix (a little all-purpose flour combined with rice flour) is first cooked and then rolled and pan-fried as rotis, essentially these are “twice-cooked flatbreads.” Rice rotis are specific to certain areas in South India; this particular recipe is the one my mother made at home in Karnataka.  While I make them often at home in Canada, I still look forward to eating them in India when my sisters make them because it reminds me of our mother.

One of the main accompaniments to rice roti is a South Indian vegetable curry called “eggplant gojju” — tender eggplant is sautéed with sliced onions, and cooked with tamarind, coconut, brown sugar and spices. Another popular accompaniment to this roti is a tender green soya bean curry that is simmered in a sauce of roasted onion,garlic, poppy seeds, and coconut. Because this specific green soya bean is a seasonal vegetable, when it’s in season, many South Indian families make a batch of rice rotis along with the curry as a special family meal or for guests. Rice roti is unique, easy to make, and can be made much larger in size and used as wraps. They are easy to digest, yet filling at the same time. Give it a try and let me know how you like them! Feel free to post a comment or question below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

South Indian Rice Roti (Bili Roti)

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rice flour (you can find this at a gourmet/health food grocer or Indian grocer)
• Extra rice flour for dusting

Preparation

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt and oil to boiling water.
2. In a measuring cup, mix all-purpose flour and rice flour together. *You can substitute all-purpose flour with another flour, like semolina, if gluten is not a problem)*
3. Reduce heat to medium and drop the flour in the middle of the boiling water and cover with half-lid immediately (don’t stir, just leave as is). Set timer for 20 minutes. Check periodically, reduce heat slightly as necessary.
4. Remove from heat and mix well with large wooden spoon. Add a little more warm water as needed if the dough is too dry. Set aside and cover, let cool (approximately 30 min, until dough is cool enough to handle by hand).

After 30 minutes

1. Place dough on non-stick surface or counter (no need to flour surface). Put extra rice flour in a bowl to the side.
2. Add ghee to hands and begin kneading the dough on a flat surface. Create portions, and form each into a round ball by hand. Add oil to hands in process of forming ball. Gently pat flat on each side and set aside each small rounded patty on small plate. Cover with lid or plate. Alternatively you can use a mixer to knead the dough.
3. Lightly flour the patty on each side. Roll out, in a fast motion, so that the roti turns as you’re rolling it. Dip each side lightly in flour as needed. You can roll a batch of them and keep them covered in the fridge, they don’t stick to each other, as the rice flour is already cooked.  Then you can fry them on a frying pan as needed.
4. Heat cast iron skillet on medium-high. Reduce heat to low, add a little bit of oil, and place roti on skillet. Once it begins to form brown spots on the face-down side and bubbles on top, flip over until roasted on the opposite side. Remove to plate and brush with ghee. Repeat for remaining rotis.

Pour the rice flour into the middle of a saucepan of boiling water

Cook on medium heat with the lid half-covering the saucepan like this

After 20 minutes it should look like this, give it a good mix

Make sure the dough is mixed well and doesn’t have any lumps

Place dough on a cutting board to begin kneading, making them into balls, and rolling them out

Create portions, and form each into a round ball by hand

Add oil to hands in process of forming ball

Gently pat flat on each side and set aside each small rounded patty on small plate

Lightly flour the patty on each side

Roll out, in a fast motion, so that the roti turns as you’re rolling it

Heat cast iron skillet on medium-high. Reduce heat to low, add a little bit of oil, and place roti on skillet.

Once it begins to form brown spots on the face-down side and bubbles on top, flip over until roasted on the opposite side.

Remove to plate and brush with ghee. Repeat for remaining rotis.