Makki Di Roti Recipe: Soft Maize Flour Roti at Home

To make soft makki di roti, mix maize flour with hot water (not cold), knead it well while the dough is still warm, and pat the roti out by hand instead of rolling it. Maize flour has no gluten, so warm water and firm kneading are what hold the roti together.

Also known as: makki di roti is made from makai atta — maize flour or corn flour in English, called makki da atta in Punjabi and makai ka atta in Hindi. It is the winter bread of Punjab, and the classic partner to sarson da saag.

Why does makki di roti keep breaking?

Almost every cracked makki roti comes down to the same three things. Maize flour has no gluten to stretch, so the dough has nothing to hold on to unless you help it along.

• Cold water. Hot water softens the starch in the flour and makes the dough pliable. Cold water gives you a crumbly, sandy mix.
• Not enough kneading. Makki atta needs a good 5 to 7 minutes of firm pressing with the heel of your palm.
• Dough left to sit and cool. Warm dough behaves; cold dough cracks. Make it and use it.

A spoon of ODM Chawal Atta (rice flour) mixed into the dough is the old home trick for extra binding, and it does not change the taste.

What do you need to make makki di roti?

This makes about 6 rotis and takes 25 minutes start to finish.

• 2 cups ODM Makai Atta (maize flour)
• 2 tablespoons rice flour or wheat flour, for binding (optional)
• About 1 to 1¼ cups hot water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ODM Carom Seeds (ajwain), lightly crushed (optional, but lovely)
• Ghee or white butter, to serve

How do you make makki di roti step by step?

1. Warm the water. Bring water to a boil and take it off the heat. It should be hot enough that you knead with a spoon first, not your bare hand.

2. Mix the dough. Put the makai atta, salt, ajwain and rice flour in a wide bowl. Pour in the hot water a little at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until it comes together in a rough mass.

3. Knead while warm. Once it is cool enough to touch, knead for 5 to 7 minutes. Press, fold, press again. The dough should feel smooth and slightly moist, like soft clay. If it cracks at the edges when you roll a ball, sprinkle a little more hot water and knead again.

4. Pat, do not roll. Take a lemon-sized ball. Place it between two sheets of butter paper or a cut plastic sheet, and press it out gently with your palm into a 5-inch round, about 3 mm thick. Patting keeps it thick and soft; rolling thin makes it break.

5. Cook on a hot tawa. Peel off the top sheet, flip the roti onto a medium-hot tawa and peel away the second sheet. Cook 1 minute, flip, cook another minute, then press the edges gently with a cloth so it puffs. Finish with ghee.

Serve hot with sarson da saag, a knob of white butter and a piece of jaggery on the side.

What is the right flour ratio?

Maize flour is naturally gluten-free, and stone-ground makai atta keeps more of its fibre and its sweet, earthy flavour. ODM Makai Atta is milled fresh from clean maize, with no artificial colours, no fillers and no preservatives — which is exactly why the dough smells like corn and not like nothing at all.

FAQ

Can I make makki di roti without a rolling pin?

Yes, and it is the better way. Pat the ball out with your palm between two sheets of butter paper. A rolling pin presses the dough too thin, and thin makki roti tears.

Why is my makki di roti hard instead of soft?

Usually the dough was too dry or the tawa was too hot. Add a little more hot water while kneading, cook on medium heat, and serve the rotis straight off the tawa — makki roti stiffens as it cools.

Can I store makki atta dough for later?

It is best made fresh. The dough dries out and cracks within an hour or two in the fridge. Store the dry flour instead, in an airtight container away from heat, and knead only what you need.

If you would like to try it this week, our stone-ground makai atta is a good place to start.