Sorghum Flour Roti or Paratha
Jowar or Jwar Roti Or Paratha
Mamta Gupta
Sorghum comes from grass family and it is the staple grain of poor people in Asia and Africa. It is quite similar to wheat in nutritional values. Indians usually make flat bread or roti and fried flat bread or paratha with it.
They are best when served fresh and served straight off the flame. But if you are feeding several people together, you can half cook them in advance, keep them wrapped to stop them from drying out and then finish off under a grill at the last minute, 4-5 at a time.
Makes 6
Ingredients
350 gm. or 12oz. jwar/jowar or sorghum flour
Enough hot water to make a firm...ish dough (hot water is better for these types of flours)
A pinch salt (optional)
Oil/ghee to fry (oil for vegans)
Instructions
Sieve the flour and salt together.
Add enough water to make a firm dough and knead.
Put aside in fridge for 30 minutes
Make approximately golf size balls.
Roll out balls to about 3-4 mm. thickness, 5 inch in diameter. Do not make any bigger. Handle carefully, as the dough is crumbly, specially before cooking, and breaks easily. To help with rolling out, dust flour on the rolling board/surface and dust the ball with flour. Roll out gently.*
Lift off gently, easing it off with a flat spatula or a fish slicer. Cook it on a heated griddle or tava.
When it changes colour to slightly darker, turn over gently, with a flat spatula.
For Roti; after step 7, brush a film of water on the top surface and cook under a pre-heated grill, until crisp. Turn over and crisp the other side. Alternatively, you can also cook it on a griddle or tava until a few brown blisters appear on both sides. Then cook directly on gas flame or charcoal fire, using tongs, flipping sides. For cooking on flame, do not brush with water. Once cooked, brush with ghee and serve immediately.
For Paratha; brush ghee/oil on both sides and cook until it looks golden on both sides, with brown blisters all over.
Serve hot with a curry of choice or a saag. If you are making roties, brush with butter or ghee just before serving. These are best eaten fresh, straight off the griddle.
Notes
*An easier way of rolling out is to place a greased or dusted ball of dough between two layers of a sandwich bag that has been slit open on two sides, leaving the base intact. A sandwich bag is firmer and better than cling film. Roll out to desired thickness. Peel top layer of plastic and then gently ease the roti/paratha off the bottom layer of plastic. Cook on a heated griddle/frying pan.
To make these parathas softer, add mash potatoes, made from 2 medium potatoes.
