Bepadiya Rotli

Double-Layered Flatbread

SERVES 4–6

Once I was having lunch at a friend’s ancestral home in a small village called Chandod in Gujarat, right on the banks of the Narmada. As I broke off a piece of the rotli served to me, it opened up into two very fine, soft layers. The rotli, dipped in the naturally sweet aamras (mango pulp), is one of the yummiest things I’ve ever eaten.

INGREDIENTS (makes 8–12)

1¾ cups wholewheat flour (atta)

A pinch of salt

¼ cup oil

⅓ cup and extra rice flour

½ cup clarified butter

METHOD

In a mixing bowl, combine wheat flour with salt. Mix well. Gradually add water and knead to make a soft dough. Knead in all the oil to give the dough a soft, elastic consistency. Cover dough with a damp muslin cloth and set aside for 15 minutes. Divide dough into marble-sized portions. To shape the rotli, flatten two portions of dough into 1½" discs. Sprinkle a pinch of rice flour evenly over one disc, place the second disc on it and press together lightly. Place the disc on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle some more rice flour and, using a rolling pin, roll into a thin, 12" round rotli. Repeat for remaining portions of dough. Put a griddle over very low heat. When hot, place a rotli on it. Cook for about 5 seconds and turn rotli over. Turn the rotli every 5 seconds, pressing the edges lightly with a small wad of muslin cloth, till small brown spots appear on both sides and the rotli begins to puff up. Remove the rotli from the griddle and separate the two layers. (If the rotli is evenly rolled, the two layers will separate easily.) Brush the inside of each layer liberally with clarified butter and place the layers over each other, so that the buttered sides are on the inside. Serve hot.