Akki Rotti - Masala

One of Karnataka's specialities is Masale Akki Rotti. The name says it all. Akki means rice and rotti means roti or flat bread.

You will need:

Rice flour - 1/2 KG

Onion - 4 nos. very finely chopped

Coconut milk - 1 Cup or Grated Coconut - 1 Cup

Cumin - 2 tbsp

Green Chilli - 4 nos.. very finely chopped

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup finely chopped

Salt to taste

Water as required

Oil - 1 Cup 

Butter - 3 tbsp

Dough:

Mix all ingredients except rice flour (Onion, Grated Coconut, cumin, green chilli, coriander leaves and salt). Leave it for about 5 mins. 

Tip: Onions and coriander leaves tend to leave a little water after adding salt. This will make the dough watery after 10 mins. In order to keep the consistency same until all the rotties are made, it is better to add salt and leave it aside for a while. 

After about 5 minutes, add rice flour to the mixture.

Keep adding water little by little to make a dough that is a little watery than that of chapathi.

Keep it covered for about 10 mins.

The dough is now ready.

Patting the dough to make it a flat rotti is the most difficult part of making a rotti. Plaintain leaf,

Originally, the flattening of the rotti used to be made on a plantain leaf. But now as plantain leaves are not available so easily, there are sythentic sheets that looks and feels like plantain leaves are available in the market. These sheets can be used for patting the rottis. Butter papers can also be used for this purpose. If nothing is available, then I use the plastic covers that comes with pilsbury or ashirvad atta. I save these sheets and keep it aside. But to use these plastic sheets you have to

be very careful as it may touch the pan/tawa and burn and stick to the pan/tawa. Best bet is to use banana leaf. I will try and post a video sometime soon as whatever explanation may not be as clear as seeing it being done.

 Patting the rotti:

Take a sheet as base (as discussed above).

Smear a spoonful of oil all over the sheet.

Take dough as big as a mousambi (Sweet lime) and put it on the sheet.

Add a spoon of oil on top of the dough.

Start patting from the centre and make a thin flat round rotti.

It has to be as thin as a dose. For beginners, it may be a little thick. but with practise, the rotties will get thinner. Thinner the better.

Push away the dough at the centre of the rotti so that the base sheet can be seen.

Making the rotti:

Heat a tawa for about 3-4 mins

Smear oil on the tawa for the first rotti. Second rotti onwards, no need to smear oil on the tawa.

Put the sheet with the patted rotti on the tawa with the base sheet on top.

Let it cook for about 10 - 15 secs. The top sheet will come off easily.

Cook for a couple of mins.

Use a flat laddle (as used for a dose) and cook on the other side for a minute.  

Once it is cooked on both the sides, remove it from the tawa and serve it with butter on top.

Facts and Tips:

1. Initially, for beginners, the rotti may become hard once it gets a little cold.
2. The more the coconut, the softer the rotti will be. For the same recipe, add more than 1 cup coconut.
3. If the rotti is left on the tawa for long, the rotti will be hard. If it is left for less time, the rotti remains uncooked.
4. The best thing that can be done is to make the rotties thinner and cook for less time. This way, it need not be on the tawa for long yet it will cook.
5. If the dough is very hard, the rotti becomes hard. If the dough is very watery, the rotti cannot be patted at all.
6. Try coconut milk
7. Having said the above facts, once you get used to it, it is easy. Also, the taste of this masala akki rotti is so tempting that you will surely cook it at home despite these facts.
   
   Will post a video soon (hopefully) 

Makes about 10 - 12 rottis

Skill level: Intermediary/Difficult

Goes well with:  Coconut Chutney/Onion Chutney/Garlic Chutney, Brinjal or Capsicum Gouri Koddel

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins