August 01, 2006

RICE ROTTI (Coffee Plantation Style) WITH A EGGPLANT and A COCONUT CHUTNEY

I know many of you have posted rice rotti recipes before in your blogs. This recipe is very different,familiar only to people around Hassan, Sakaleshpura and Coorg coffee Plantations.One of many of my grandmother's recipe, these rottis are made everyday in the estates.

Akki Rottis, coffee estate style:

You know what they say here in US,there are two things guaranteed in life; death and taxes??!!
I can say smilingly that in the coffee plantations, rice rotti and coffee is guaranteed!:D
Well,here they are, the how to of making akki rottis and hope you will give it a try!

YOU NEED:
2 Cups Long Grain Rice, cooked until soft and cooled,
1/2 to 3/4 cup Rice flour/ cream of rice, or as much as you need,
1 tsp Salt.

Plantation style AKKI ROTTI:

Cook 2 cups of long grain rice. Cool and knead adding salt first to a smooth dough adding as much as rice flour you need, at least 1/2 cup. You will get a firm non-sticky mass of dough. If it's very sticky, add more rice flour but too much flour makes the rottis tough. When done correctly, it should puff like phulka, crisp outside and soft inside! Divide into 6-7 tennis ball size rounds.
You can use KitchenAid stand mixer for kneading the dough too. Add rice and salt, mix with flat beater. Keep adding 1 tbsp of rice flour at a time to the mixer while blending it until it comes clean on the side and a big lump. It doesn't have to be very dry and do not knead too much until it is mushy.

Heat a iron tava (Henchu).
Meanwhile, take a plastic or non-stick foil like I usually do, press the round on top with your palm to make 6-7" diameter rotti as shown. I spray non-stick oil on foil first to spread it easily but traditionally no oil is used at all but patted with wet palm or they use a rotti making machine which presses the dough balls flat to make 6" rottis, which is of course not available here.
They also use little water to dip their hands to make rottis which is hard for me to do. Place the rottis on a clean towel and cover with clean towel until you are ready to cook/bake.





Bake on tava until you see the brown spots ,flip and cook the other side. I cook until halfway done, cool and keep them in a tortilla warmer. When ready to eat, I place a grill or cooling rack used for cooking cookies etc., on top of the burner directly on high heat, place a rotti until it puffs up and little crispy to serve hot.




Serve: with Rasavangi and/or Red coconut chutney or an excellent side dish would be a very traditional Mulgayi (eggplants)Ennegayi and /or Eggplant Chutney/Bajji or Khara Chutney(Green chilly chutney) or Ridge gourd chutney(Heerekai Chutney)!! :D

Eggplant Bajji/Pachadi for rice rottis:
Here is a wonderfully tasty Bajji/chutney to go with rice rottis above which is a classic combo in the coffee estates of Karantaka.This is my grandmother's recipe, always served with freshly made rice rottis along with other gravy dishes. Hope you try at least once just to enjoy the new taste:)

How to:
1. Place a big purple Eggplant or few medium sized green or purple ones, skin pricked and sprayed with oil in the oven which is preheated to 400F for 45 mins or until soft to touch or grill on the stove top.
2. Take out,pour some cold water on it.When the skin wrinkles,place it on a plate and peel the skin.With a spoon ,scoop all the pulp from inside,put in a bowl.Cool.
3. Meanwhile,heat 1 tbsp oil,add 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds, 2tsp Urad dal and chana dal,2-3 green chillies split,curry leaves and few cut cilantro.Take it out and add to eggplant mixture and mix with some salt.
4. Finally, add 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and mix well.It shouldn't too thin or very mild tasting either.Adjust salt,heat and tartness.
5. Serve with Rice rottis for best tasting combo.
6. Another chutney which goes best with Rice Rottis is below.

White Coconut Chutney:

How to make Chutney:
1. Grind 1 cup fresh coconut,3tbsp roasted yellow chutney dal,2 tbsp of yoghurt,salt,few green chillies,Cilantro stems to keep the chutney white not the leaves,1/2" ginger,1 garlic, in a grinder until smooth.
2. Heat 1tbsp oil,add 1/2tsp mustard seeds,2tsp Urad dal,few curry leaves.When they splutter,add to chutney and mix well.

Enjoy!!

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey that looks yummy. How I miss my granny's akki rotti and Badnekaayi palya. We make it entirely with rice flour. It still tastes good though. I will try your version next time around.
Nice to see some traditional Karnataka recipes floating around.

FH said...

Thanks Anon!! Hope you have a blog or start one, so we will have more yummy K'taka cuisine floating around!!:))

Manjula said...

Was searching for coorgi akki rotti on the web, found ur blog. This is exactly what I wanted! Had seen my friends mom doing this rotti from cooked rice a few yrs back in coorg.

I cooked some rice today morning to make puliyogre but the rice got over cooked. I also happen to have indian eggplants today. Perfect!

Hope u read this comment..i see this was posted a few months back.

FH said...

Hi Manjula! I read every comment and answer everyone too:) I don't mind at all. I am glad you found these recipes.
Add as much rice flour as you need to soft rice to make it non sticky dough.It's easier to roll that way. Eggplant chutney goes perfectly with Akki rotti and make it little spicy with green chillies so it goes well with the bland rotti.Enjoy and come back for more:)

Manjula said...

I guess its tricky and needs practice to spread the rotti on the tava or to transfer from the paper/plastic to the tava :( I just messed up the whole thing. The rotti was too non stick that it wouldnt sit on the tava.

Will keep trying until I succeed :)

FH said...

Hi Manjula,I never spread rotti on the Tava.I spray a alumminum foil with no-stick spray just a little and spread with my hand to desired thickness.Take the whole foil and slap on the hot tava.
Next time ,add more rice folour until you can roll the ball without sticking.Keep trying with just 1cup cooked rice and one day you will love the roti:)

Anonymous said...

I learn so much when I visit your blog. What a great looking meal!

FH said...

Thanks Kristen:)) Hope you do try some of these.

TNL said...

That Looks so good! I just love that color of both the rottis and the chutney.......so different for me.

Have a wonderful weekend!
hugs, trupti

Bong Mom said...

Foodies Hope on a Friday !!!!! That itself took me by surprise. The eggplant bajji..is it like eggplant raita ? I had it once and it tasted great

Jyothi said...

Hi Asha! I used to make these rice rotis with combination of some raw vegetables for different taste and also for color. But yours looks different and delicious too. Very soon I will give a trial of your version. Thanks for sharing.

Jyothi said...

Hi Asha! They looks yummy and delicious. I used to prepare with some vegetables for different taste and color. But I want to give a trial of your version. Thanks for sharing.

Sia said...

did u start publishing posts in friday also or is it from ur archive?

Seema Bhat said...

Asha,
I never knew you could make akki rotti with cooked rice. Very interesting and sounds easy. But I am sure as Manjula said it will need a lot of practice. Bandnekai recipe is also so new to me Asha.

FH said...

Trupti,you are right.These are very traditional K'taka dishe.Try them:))

Sandeepa,it's an old post and did a little editing in the morning!:D
Try the Eggplant bajji/Chutney,tastes great.

FH said...

You are welcome Jyoti.This is how we make Rottis at my mom's.Tastes great, and needs a little practice.Try it with just 1 cup of cooked rice first.Enjoy:))

Sia,calm down girl,Wednesday is still on!!;D
Sig told me she couldn't find this post for rice rottis,so I came here and edited a little and reposted it.Have you tried making these rottis?! Try it.

FH said...

Seema,try it with just 1 cup of cooked rice first and add rice flour to knead.You can pat it on sprayed foil,and cook it on tava.It's not that hard.
Manjula added a very soft cooked rice,that's why she had some trouble with her's!Got to keep on trying,it's worth the effort:)

Cynthia said...

Interesting to learn that this is coffee plantation food - sounds and looks yummy.

FH said...

Thank you Cynthia:)
Most of us are vegetarians there, so you find many interesting veg. cuisine including Bambooshoots!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful Ashakka, I love anything with rice (no sweets please) . Amma makes brinjal bajji and we andhrites simply adore the purple veggie, the king of veggies!I never knew you could make roti with cooked rice!

DEEPA said...

Asha ji on friday ...suprising and really suprising .....really interesting .......eggplant and roti looks great...have a great weekend ...

Bharathy said...

Asha,there you are,Compliments flowing on you and you got a new reader...My Ma in law!!:)..She is a regular visitor of your blog and crosses thru mine and firmly says your place is her favourite in the whole blogosphere!!!!She keeps on telling you are an andhraite..But I never attempted to argue with her that you are a Kannadiga...after all she doesn't support her Daughter in law's blog,u see....:)
Me too was getting ready to post Kathrikkai bhajji..Thanx for sharing this wonderful traditinal one...

Suganya said...

Pouring cold water over hot eggplant is an idea i have never heard before. Can we do this over broiled peppers too? The eggplant chutney looks tempting. Even though the eggplant is roasted, it dint get brown, partly because of the yogurt and partly bcoz of yr cooking skills :)

Manasi said...

Akki roti is something I have been meaning to try.. will try now.. and eggplant.. the hubby loves it, will make his weekend! Thanx Dear!!

FH said...

Dee,they are very loved rottis in the estates.Try it sometimes,it's heaven with eggplant Bajjis:)

Deepa,I just edited and reposted this old post and everybody thinks it's new!!HaHa!!

LOL!!! Bharathy,don't cross your MIL!!;D
That was hilarious.I do appreciate her liking my blog.Show her my profile,Mysore,B'lore etc!!:))
Say hello to her from me.She is adorable although I don't know her!;D
Post your's too,more the better.

FH said...

Suganya,it does work on peppers too.Sometimes they wrap the roasted peppers in a plastic bag for a while and peel to get the skin off too.Cold water will do for me.I bake it and peel the skin,so pulp remains white.Try it.
Just came back from my son's school,school is over!!:))

You are welcome Manasi.Most hubbies don't like Eggplants,great to hear he likes it:))
Try it and enjoy the weekend.Hugs.

Viji said...

Looks yummy Asha, Very nice. Could not resist. Viji

FH said...

Thank you Viji.Give them a try:))

Bharathy said...

oh me me.!!.how did I land up with the comment here yestday??..this one's a bit old post...oh yes!!! my MIL was viewing the brinjal bhajji and ...I commented right away..thinking this your fresh post...Ok ok ..:)

FH said...

Hahaha!! I was wondering too as What comment are you talking about? Then I realized it's here and I enjoyed reading about MIL actually!:D
I edited and reposted this post,so it showed in the blog rolls somehow:)

Padma said...

Hey your version of Akki roti is totally different, I have to give it a try...I was always scared of making rice rotis as they are difficult to manage and easily break apart. Your idea of a perfect akki roti is best approach, as you cook the rice before and that makes your job easy...

Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting, as you said, 'Comments are like a protein boost to any blogger's creativity' its really a vitamin to keep going in long journey. One thing I learn't from you is to stay active, its a nice feeling to know such a lovely person.

FH said...

Padma,thanks for your sweet words.I will be there in your as much as I can,blog on and encourage others with your comments too!:)
This is how Coorgis and my grandmother's family make rottis.It is easy once you get used to it and tastes great as well.
After the rice cooled,knead the rice with salt and then start adding the rice flour,knead again until you get a stiff dough.Needs some practice first!Hope you try:)

Devi Priya said...

Good recipe, My mom makes it I never did. Will give it a try.

FH said...

Hi Devi, hope you do. Needs a bit of practice for this one but delicious once you learn to make it!:))

Unknown said...

hi asha,
great pics,reminded of my visit tofreinds place- ballarkoppel very near to sakleshpur,they served us with this akirotti and khara chutney.....liked ur recipes

bhagya

FH said...

Hey Bhagya, nice to meet you.
Yeah, as I wrote there akki rotti and coffee is always available in the estates!I have seen my relatives dipping akki rotti in coffee and eating it!:D
My husband is from Hebbanahalli, few miles from Sakaleshpura too, my grand father's estate is near Belur!:)
This is how I my grandmother makes rotti in her home.Enjoy!:))

Anonymous said...

I really like your blog.. Very informative and easy to understand..

wheneever I make brinjals curry, my brinjals come our bitter unless I add loads of oil to my curry. Can you tell me why this is happening and how do I make brinjals without adding too much oil and without getting thembitter.

Thanks
Mansi

FH said...

Hi Mansi, thanks for your appreciation, makes me happy! : ))

Well..whenever I use American style huge Eggplants is to cut and soak in salted water for 15-20mins and squeeze out all water before using them. That takes out most of the bitterness. Indian Brinjals are not usually bitter unless they very young when harvested. Try the soaking method, might work for you too. Enjoy.

Myvegfare said...

hi, asha, first time in your blog, My dad hails too from hassan we make these rottis with egg plant pacchadi and thenga Thogeyal which has dals in it, i have posted one in my blog not with such beautiful photos when u have time please do check
http://samayalarai-cookingisdivine.blogspot.com
Your post about visiting Bangalore & mysore is very interesting i miss them so much just in april I had been to India, when reading i was going through all the streets & foods in my mind. wonderful you enjoyed your stay..., still i need to browse through your blog for more k'taka recipes.

FH said...

Thanks Jaya. My mom is from Belur and husband is from Sakaleshpura, so we love this kind of food although I can't make as best as they can in and around Hassan. I will visit you and see you in Fall. Enjoy blogging, hi to your dad from me! :)

notyet100 said...

wow,,,this looks so comforting,..;-0