29 years ago, this day, 18 April, 1982, Ganesh and I were married inthe hindu brahmin style. After six years of courtship, Ganesh finally told his dad (who was unaware of our relationship in a way -well that's a long story and some day it will come out here) that he wanted to marry this Parsi girl! His dad was furious and could not believe what he was hearing. Here was a son, his only son, his only child for God's sake, telling him he wanted to marry a girl not only of his own choice, but one from a religion he did not know existed! Those were tense moments and like everything else, time (lesser than I thought) ironed out the problems.
After the wedding as I began adapting to the new culture and a new set of parents, there came a mutual sense of appreciation and acceptance on either sides. I thought and so did my in-laws, that I was 'fitting in' quite well. I loved the new culture of rangoli, lemon rice, sambar, veggies, dosas, idlis, oil baths, puja, sarees, bindis, long hair adorned with jasmine flowers, as much as I did my 'new' husband (he was my boyfriend before ha ha).
My new life also started a process of learning new things, including 'helping in the kitchen'. I was not trained by my mom to cook, and the only thing I was good at in the kitchen, was making chapaties and okra or bhindi subji. I had watched my mom and sometimes my dad chop onions very fine and was able to this quite expertly. Although my in-laws enjoyed my chapati making, I was not trusted with the other palyas, sambars, rasam and stuff like that. Over a few years, I was able to cook some of the dishes, but it all had my distinct taste that was not as good as "his mom's". I was considered a bad cook and that was that.
Today, I will share with you the recipe that I learned to make in my in-laws house. Akki Roti or Rice Roti is my fav breakfast dish and hope you'll like it too!
Akki or Rice Roti
Rice roti, or akki roti, is very popular in Karnataka as a breakfast dish. If you have an allergic reaction to the gluten found in wheat, enjoy akki rotis instead.
Ingredients
Makes around 8 to 10 rotis.
| Rice flour | 2 cups |
| Water | as required |
| Onions, finely chopped | 1 cup |
| Dill, fresh, finely chopped | 1 cup |
| Cumin seeds | 2 tsp |
| Green chilies, finely chopped (optional) | to taste |
| Coriander leaves, finely chopped | ½ cup |
| Coconut, freshly and cut into small pieces | ½ cup |
| Salt | to taste |
| Oil | for the pan |
Method
Mix onions, dill, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, green chilies, coconut, and salt thoroughly with your hand to ensure proper distribution of all ingredients. Add rice flour and mix again. Add enough water to make thick, firm dough. Thereafter, whilst handling the batter, wet your fingers and palms in a bowl of water each time, and also while spreading it onto the pan.
Place a ball of dough slightly larger than a golf ball on the center of an unheated, lightly greased nonstick pan or cookie sheet. With wet fingers, spread the dough evenly onto the pan into a thin pancake-like roti. If using a cookie sheet, invert the roti on the cookie sheet over a heated pan and gently peal the sheet away. Add a few drops of oil around and on top of the roti and cover with a lid. Cook on a high flame for 2 minutes then remove the lid. When you notice the roti getting golden brown, flip it and cook for one more minute. Serve hot and crisp, with the chutney of your choice.
Note
Since the dough needs to be spread on a cool pan, I suggest that you use two pans, so that one cools off whilst you are cooking the roti on the other. In an emergency, cool the inverted pan under cold water with caution, as very hot nonstick pans tend to warp when put under the tap.
Dip your fingers into a bowl of water while patting the roti onto the pan to avoid your fingers from sticking to the dough. Having a bowl of water nearby is essential.
You can experiment by adding shredded carrots, finely chopped green peppers, or cooked sweet peas into the batter. You may also substitute dill with coriander leaves or finely chopped spinach.
Ragi* roti is made in exactly the same way, except that you substitute the rice flour with ragi flour. You can even make this roti with whole wheat flour or buckwheat flour.
* Ragi, or African millet, is grown mainly in the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is the cheapest millet available in India. People make ragi porridge or ragi balls with ragi. Because they are inexpensive yet nutritious, ragi balls form the staple of most farmers’ and peasants’ diet in these states.
