Makki Methi ki Roti

One of my favorite herbs from winter season is fresh Methi or fenugreek leaves. Methi seeds are an essential spice in many Indian recipes like aam ka achaar, coconut chicken curry and Old Delhi style aloo ki sabzi. But fresh methi leaves are seasonal and used in vegetables like methi aloo, sarson ka saag and many others. Dried methi leaves, often called Kasoori methi are a herb used to get that distinct north Indian curry or tandoori/mughlai food smell. But if you taste them on their own, they are quite bitter.

The recipes I mention above are from all over India. Some from the south of India, others from the north. Methi is truly a versatile plant that finds uses even in Ayurveda. Methi is great for hair and helps in diabetes. India is a leading producer of methi in the world.

Greens go well with makki!

When combined with cornmeal flour or makki ka aata, methi results in this delicious winter flatbread. Makki ki roti is famous for it’s pairing with Sarson ka saag, a luscious preparation of mustard greens from Punjab. Makki ki roti and sarson ka saag is a classic combination and is a must have in the winter season. But making a good sarson ka saag and rolling makki ki roti properly are not easy. Only the most experienced cooks get both the things right.

Making good sarson ka saag starts with picking the right variety of sarson and then combining it with the right proportion of methi and palak. Yes, Sarson ka saag is not just mustard leaves alone. And rolling makki roti needs practice as it is brittle and the roti cracks easily.

Is Makki ki Roti the same as a Tortilla?

Makki ki roti is made of a flour which is similar to finely ground cornmeal. And it is just that. Tortillas on the other hand, are made of Masa Harina. Masa Harina is not just made of corn meal flour. It is made of corn that has been treated with lime in a process that is called Nixtamalization. Nixtamalization is done to break down the maize/corn further and make it more nutritious by freeing the niacin. The origins of this process come from Meso-america where this was done to prevent diseases caused by deficiencies.

In India, however, corn is not nixtamalized. Probably because diets here are varied enough to include different food groups and nutrients.

While I have never come across Masa Harina instead of Makki ka aata for this recipe, cook book author Veronica Rani Sidhu advises against using Masa Harina for making rotis in her book Menus and Memories from Punjab.

How to handle Makki ka aata

While I am yet to try making Sarson ka saag on my own, I did have some confidence in my skills of handling cornmeal dough. I often struggle to find good sarson here in Dubai during the winter season and I am also not too familiar with Haakh. If you do get either of these, you should definitely try out Kanika’s recipe for Haakh k saag.

As for me, I reminisce about soulful makki ko roti and sarson ka saag combo by making Makki methi ki roti instead.

So here are some tips for making a dough with makki ka aata and rolling it into rotis.

• Always make the makki dough with warm water.
• Add enough water to make the makki dough soft. It should not be dry. Moisture is what will keep the rotis from breaking.
• Roll out the dough as gently as you can, without excess pressure.
• Give the rolling pin/belan a break and use your hands instead to flatten the dough ball. You can gently press the dough ball between your palms and flatten it gently.
• Once again, be gentle! 🙂
• Do not roll out the rotis too thin as they will break.
• Use some dry flour also called palethann (पलेथन) to prevent the dough from sticking. But don’t use too much.
• Rest the prepared dough for at least 10-15 minutes before rolling.

Let’s make Makki Methi ki Roti

Prep time- 30 minutes; Cook time; 10 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves 3-4; Yields 7-8 rotis

Ingredients

• Cornmeal flour/ Makki ka Aata, 1 and 1/2 cups
• Fresh Methi/Fenugreek leaves, 1 cup
• Warm water, 1 and 1/2 cups
• Green chilli/ Hari Mirch, 1, finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• Dry wheat flour/ Aata or makki flour for rolling
• Ghee for cooking
• Butter for serving (optional)

Method

Cleaning the Methi

Start by picking leaves from methi stems. Delicate stems can be used but thicker ones are bitter.

Once you have picked the methi leaves, wash them in cold water 3-4 times to remove any dust or debris. Once washed, drain using a sieve and dry on a kitchen towel.

Bunch up the drained methi leaves and finely chop them on a cutting board, as finely as you can.

Wash and finely chop the green chillies as well.

Preparing Makki ka aata

Next, take a big bowl or a paraat and tip in the chopped leaves, green chillies, makki atta and salt.

Mix everything together with your hands to make a crumble.

Heat up one and a half cups of water.

Gradually add warm water, little by little and start kneading the dough. This process of kneading the dough will take around 7-10 minutes.

But dough made of makki aata (corn meal flour) does not behave like dough made of wheat flour. This dough does not bounce back like regular wheat dough since it does not have gluten. Yes, corn on its own is gluten-free. But that does not mean this roti/flatbread will be gluten free. This depends on whether the makki aata is processed in a facility that prevents cross contamination with gluten. Since most atta in India comes from chakkis or flour mills, it is difficult to get flour that is completely devoid of any contamination.

The dough will gradually come together and absorb more water. Keep the dough as soft as possible. But it should not be too difficult to shape a small ball out of the dough. A drier dough will be brittle when handled.

Once you have prepared the dough, let it rest for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.

Making Makki Methi ki Roti

Now that the dough had rested, it is time to start making the rotis. Place a tawa/ griddle or cast iron pan on medium high heat.

While the tawa heats up, start making the rotis. Break a small amount of dough and make a ball from it with your hands.

Dust the dough ball with some dry flour (palethann) to prevent the rotis from sticking to the surface. Roll out the rotis using a belan (rolling pin) by using very gentle pressure. If you are feeling confident enough, you can also flatten the ball using just your hands.

I use a traditional chakla (a flat circular rolling board) for rolling rotis. I find it easier to up-turn the chakla in case the rolled roti sticks to the bottom. This is something one can’t do when rolling out rotis on the kitchen counter. Whichever method you use to roll the roti, do not try to make them too thin as they break easily.

Next, carefully place the rolled roti on the heated tawa. Cook one side for around 2 minutes on medium low and then, using a turner spatula, carefully flip it.

Grease the top of the roti with a few drops of ghee and cook both sides till golden brown spots appear.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Serve this makki methi ki roti hot with saag, homemade yogurt, mango pickle and some butter.