Makki Ki Roti - Cornmeal flat bread

 Sadda Pind is a cultural museum in Amritsar, India. On our recent visit we got to experience some amazing rustic food in the museum. Sadda Pind means "My Village".  The museum is set up amongst beautiful mud cottages, colourful artwork across the walls - artisans busy working on their craft and women of the village gathering together to cook food.  yes, its true, I did not see any men of the village cooking!  But anyway, I got to experience life in a village all in one day, tried my hand at weaving, embroidery, listened to music, saw dances - and tasted some amazing food.  As you walk into Sadda Pind you are welcomed with a glass of lassi and as you go past each mud hut there is something new to taste in each home.

One of the things I tried was Sarson Ka Saag and Makki ki Roti. Mustard greens with cornmeal flatbread.This is an iconic Punjabi dish - and its essence is to take you to the lush fields and farmlands of Punjab and remind you of the hardworking farmers and the delicious food from the fields to your plate, literally. 

A couple of years back I actually grew mustard in my back yard so I could experience the authentic flavour of the leaves. At that time, I did not make the cornmeal rotis. I used tortillas instead.  This time I thought I would try my hand at making the rotis because the ladies in the Pind (village) showed me how to do it. This recipe is completely vegetarian and gluten free.  If you want to make it vegan, just use oil instead of butter.

The ladies in the Pind simply used the palm of their hand to get the dough into shape - but I was not able to do it as well as them.  So I have used a rolling pin instead.

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon carrom seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 or two teaspoons oil

Butter / ghee for serving

Extra cornmeal for rolling out the roti

Method:

Heat water in a saucepan and add the salt, oil and turmeric powder to it.  Let the water come to almost boiling point.  Turn the stove off.

In a large flat plate, add the cornmeal and the carom seeds.  Mix well.

Make a small well in the middle of the cornmeal / carom seed mix and spoon in the hot water a litrle at a time.  Keep mixing and adding water until you are able to get all of the cornmeal in a dough form.

Let it rest for a few minutes until it is easy to handle the dough.  Knead the dough.

If it is a bit watery you can add some more cornmeal and if it is a bit too dry then add a little hot water.

Once you are able to knead it into a soft dough, let it rest under a bowl for about five minutes or so.

Meanwhile, prepare the bench top - sprinkle a little cornmeal and take little bits off the dough and gently roll it.  Since this flour is gluten free you will find that it cracks. But you can stick it back.

Keep a hot skillet ready so that as you roll out the cornmeal dough you can cook it straightaway.

As you take the roti off the skillet, place it in a warm tea towel and add a touch of ghee.  Serve with Sarson Ka Saag.  (Mustard Greens and Spinach curry)

Once you get experienced, I think you can make it using your hands like these ladies.  But for now, I have cracked edges - not that it matters, the taste was divine.

Makki Ki Roti at Sadda Pind:

The happy and lush mustard fields in Amritsar, Punjab.