Akki Roti / Rice flour pancakes

Its always a luxury for me to have someone take care of my son and though I enjoy cooking, its nice to have someone else cook for me and make me that cup of tea when I wake up ! These simple pleasures are something I really cherish when I am in Ma's place.

A couple of weeks left before I head back to the daily grind and heat back in Ahmedabad, so I am really enjoying all the pampering and the good weather here. Its been raining almost every evening and it has cooled down a lot.



This morning, we had akki roti with garlic chutney for breakfast. Akki roti is made either plain like this one, which resembles the wheat flour phulkas, or with some spices, onions and herbs. My sister-in-law makes some amazing akki rotis in a deep curved pan, which is something I have never managed. the dough almost always sticks to the pan, remains undercoked or gets burnt. That one I still have to crack.

Ma's version is simpler, like little rotis and something that I can roll out. Rice flour is essentially gluten free and a good substitute to wheat flour if you are on a gluten-free diet. These rotis are popular in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Ma made this with a roasted garlic and coconut chutney that is a nice spicy accompaniment to these humble rotis.



Akki Roti / Rice flour pancakes

What you need -

1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil

What you do with it -

Add the oil and salt to the pot of water and bring it to a boil
Once the water starts boiling, add the rice flour to the water
Mix the flour into the water using a wooden ladle
The colour will turn into a transparent white
Turn off the heat and cover it with a lid
When it is still hot (as hot as you can handle), knead it using your hands to make a smooth dough
Line the kitchen table / platform with a sheet of baking paper or plastic, like a milk cover
Take a small ball of dough and roll it over the plastic / baking sheet
Don't use any oil to roll it or roast it
Heat a tava / griddle and place the rolled dough over it
Allow it to brown slightly and flip it over
Allow to brown slightly on the other side and take it off the heat
The dough can't be kept for too long, but you can roll it out and store it for a couple of hours and then roast it