Rumali roti

Dear TDU,
I have not relished the sight of the making of a rumali roti though I have heard so much about that. Mmmmm.... it was yummy.
While I was working in the parcel office in the Central Railway Station in Chennai, my office was at the end of Platform 1 and I had to walk nearly 1 km from the suburban station to my office.
North Indians travelling for long would be preparing their food on the platform itself. They will make a veg. dal curry and rotis. I used to watch with fascination the way men and women rolled out ( patted out) rotis with their hands, no rolling boards or pins. That too in just seconds.
Our cuisine makes it necessary that we use our hands and fingers well. The fine motor movements of our finger tips are very much that is why we excel in such things and also in needle work and such fine arts. Even our women folk making kozhukattai choppu and making of murukku and jangiri (make a desing in the warm oil with the desing afloat and moving) with fingers is a wonder, isn't it?
Keralites do not use arival manai for cutting vegs. They use only their fingers and cut and even slice onions with iron knives with such expertise. And their fingers remain uncut, mind you!

Originally Posted by Induslady

Hello TDU,

So thoughtful of you to remember the making of Rumali Roti and write about it on seeing these ready-to-eat foods in the Indian stores in the US.
I have seen the making of Tandoori Naan in the roadside dhaabas when I had visited places like Delhi, Nasik on an official trip (don't start imagining what kind of official trip it could have been ).

You are absolutely right, making these rotis, parathas (or Madurai purota), naans, etc. are an art and inspite of following the expert tips given by cooking stalwarts, I have never got anywhere close to making them better :icon_frown:. Poor DH has got to eat those (rubber-like) chappathis that I make.

Beware of these ready-to-eat Rumali Rotis, Stuffed parathas, Naan, etc. that you get here. If you are going to buy these thinking of those wonderful preparations in the North, you are sure to get disappointed.

Malathy

Thanks, Malathy for sparing your valuable time and among busy work of managing such a big site to post your comments here. Incidentally, I was once a member of an equally big site with more than 9000 members and the reason of its success was that they were providing direct downloads from their server of movies and music. But, once they found out that it is not financially viable and removed the downloads the other forums alone could not sustain and they had to close. In that respect, IL being a purely interactive forums growing in size is remarkable and all credits go to you and the moderators. I wish it grows further.
Regards,

TDU

Originally Posted by sudhavnarasimhan

dear Tamil,

You really made me feel homesick again....just got back from india, and i did not have the chance to relish all this.....especially rumali roti which was my favourite always!:icon_frown:
Unfortunately we dont have it here in any restaurants, so have to await to see that art of its making next time around in India!
But really visualised it from the way u wrote.....
Will catch up with ur stories soon and get back with the fb!

Hi, Sudha

It is nice to see you back in IL. You learn to make good Rumali Rotis and give to your hubby. Then, you can sing 'Unnai alli eduthu ullankaiyil madithu kaikuttaiyil ( Rumali rotiyil ) olithu kolven pin viduthalai seythu vendum varam vaangi kolven'.

Regards,

TDU

Originally Posted by Varloo

Dear TDU,
I have not relished the sight of the making of a rumali roti though I have heard so much about that. Mmmmm.... it was yummy.
While I was working in the parcel office in the Central Railway Station in Chennai, my office was at the end of Platform 1 and I had to walk nearly 1 km from the suburban station to my office.
North Indians travelling for long would be preparing their food on the platform itself. They will make a veg. dal curry and rotis. I used to watch with fascination the way men and women rolled out ( patted out) rotis with their hands, no rolling boards or pins. That too in just seconds.
Our cuisine makes it necessary that we use our hands and fingers well. The fine motor movements of our finger tips are very much that is why we excel in such things and also in needle work and such fine arts. Even our women folk making kozhukattai choppu and making of murukku and jangiri (make a desing in the warm oil with the desing afloat and moving) with fingers is a wonder, isn't it?
Keralites do not use arival manai for cutting vegs. They use only their fingers and cut and even slice onions with iron knives with such expertise. And their fingers remain uncut, mind you!

Dear Varloo,

You are right about our women making kozhukattai choppu, murukku, jangiri etc. My sister used to make Sevai (rice noodles) not through Sevai naazhi, but in a towel with a small hole. She will squeeze the arisumaavu in the towel and get thin sevai. We were a big family and my mother and eldest sister used to grind dosai maavu. We used to eat as dosas being made hot hot and in the end very little maavu will remain. They used to say 'Araichavaluku aatukallum vaathvaluku dosakallum than micham'. Poor people.

Regards,

TDU

Hi TDU sir

well that was a good observation on your part.... seeing how rumali roti tandoori nans or rotis are made is a spectacle in itself... In olden times(in punjab and north india), as told by my mother... there used to be a "sanjha chulha" where all the ladies use to make food and also make rotis on the tandoor... my mom makes great tandoori nans and rotis... it is an art in itself... where in you have to put the roti in the tandoor wihtout burning your hands...

while Rumali roti has more of a muslim origin... and if someone has heard of "jama masjid" area in Old delhi... that is where making of a rumali is a common sight... My brother-in-law, being in hotel and hospitality industry, describes how difficult it is to find a chef who can make rumali roti and then the most difficult to find is the "dal makhni" chef... there are restaurant in delhi (in 5 stars speifically) where they name their own dal makhni... like in the Park hotel, there is this restaruant "Baluchi" they call their Dal makhni "dal baluchi"... and they have one chef only for that Dal...

Me being very new to cooking (and north indian), i even wonder how people make DOSAS... how they spread it on the huge tava and are still able to fold it so well... my god that is also one difficult thing....

~abha

Originally Posted by Abha

Hi TDU sir

well that was a good observation on your part.... seeing how rumali roti tandoori nans or rotis are made is a spectacle in itself... In olden times(in punjab and north india), as told by my mother... there used to be a "sanjha chulha" where all the ladies use to make food and also make rotis on the tandoor... my mom makes great tandoori nans and rotis... it is an art in itself... where in you have to put the roti in the tandoor wihtout burning your hands...

while Rumali roti has more of a muslim origin... and if someone has heard of "jama masjid" area in Old delhi... that is where making of a rumali is a common sight... My brother-in-law, being in hotel and hospitality industry, describes how difficult it is to find a chef who can make rumali roti and then the most difficult to find is the "dal makhni" chef... there are restaurant in delhi (in 5 stars speifically) where they name their own dal makhni... like in the Park hotel, there is this restaruant "Baluchi" they call their Dal makhni "dal baluchi"... and they have one chef only for that Dal...

Me being very new to cooking (and north indian), i even wonder how people make DOSAS... how they spread it on the huge tava and are still able to fold it so well... my god that is also one difficult thing....

~abha

Dear Abha,

Thanks for your info on roti making. While I can make good dosas, I find it tough to make good rotis. I have tried using a slightly wetcloth to touch the roti on the thava and then spin it. I have watched some north indian ladies in my friends' house in Mumbai do this expertly. As they used to spin the roti will get puffed and it will be very soft. Some people used to cook the roti directly on the gas flame and then also the roti used to get puffed.

For good dosa making, you have to have the thava in medium heat first. Then spread little oil. Some people use big onion cut into a slice for spreading the oil. When you first pour the dough, do not try to spread. Let it get roated like uthapam. Then for second time onwards, try to pour the dough in concentric circles starting from larger outer one reducing in size at the centre. Then slightly spread the dough to fill the gaps. Next, pour oil around the periphery and some in the middle. The most crucial thing to do next is to slightly remove one edge with a flat and long spoon to see whether dosa can be changed sides. Some people keep the long spoon in water. After the first one or two dosas you will find the rest coming nicely and easily to remove. You can sprinkle little water on the thava in between making dosas to remove the excess heat.

Regards,

TDU

Reading all the posts about Rumali roti, I am very eager to order it in the restaurant.
I have no idea how it looks like. Can somebody attach the picture of the same and also the recipe please so that i can enjoy it visually in the computer and also in my kitchen?:smile:
Sriniketan

[quote=Abha

Me being very new to cooking (and north indian), i even wonder how people make DOSAS... how they spread it on the huge tava and are still able to fold it so well... my god that is also one difficult thing....

~abha[/quote]


Abha,
taking off on a tangent ......this site of kanchana's will demo you in dosa making. She came up with simex(south indian mexican) quesa dosai (cross between quesadilla and dosa). After reading her blog I got so inspired and tried it right away and we all loved it . Thats the power of food blogs...

Married To a Desi: Quesa-dosai

TDU,
can you post the name of the place in gaithersburg?? We have chutneys in herndon and Masala Country in centreville both of which are very good and frequented by locals here (non desi's).

Originally Posted by Sriniketan

Reading all the posts about Rumali roti, I am very eager to order it in the restaurant.
I have no idea how it looks like. Can somebody attach the picture of the same and also the recipe please so that i can enjoy it visually in the computer and also in my kitchen?:smile:
Sriniketan

Dear Sriniketan,

Thanks for asking the info. Actually I should have given with the original post itself. Here are the details of its making and the photos of roti itself and a chef making it.

Roomal or Rumal means handkerchief. Since this bread is as thin as a handkerchief. it has got its name as 'Rumali Roti' (Bread as thin as a handkerchief)

Ingredients:
1/2cup Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
50 gms Maida
1/2 tsp Baking powder
2-3 tbsp oil or melted ghee
Water to knead
A pinch of salt

Method:

•Sieve wheat flour, maida, salt and baking powder together.

•Pour oil or Ghee in the flour and add water bit by bit and make a soft & elastic dough and keep it covered with moist muslin cloth or a damp cloth used to cover roti dough for 1/2 an hour.

• Knead well again and make small balls of the dough. Roll like a normal roti, ofcourse try to make it a little thin and not very thick like u make for parathas.
Here comes the trick that u see chefs do in hotels where there is courtyard cooking done. Now place the roti on the back side of your palms (palms facing down), circle your wrist slowly in an anti-clockwise motion. Try to swing the roti in the air, again let it land on your palms, make a large very thin circle 12" diameter. It should be as thin as tissue and expanded well.

If you can’t do the chef’s trick never mind, just roll each ball into a thin roti using little dry flour (it should be thin as a tissue)

•Heat an inverted griddle(tawa).

•Place the rumali roti carefully over it and cook till done. This roti takes harldy 1 minute to cook, once it is done, fold it like a handkerchief.

•Serve rumali roti hot. It should be eaten whilst hot. Once cold it becomes very elastic and difficult to chew.

**Some people add eggs for softness or to stretch the dough further, but it isn’t necessary.

Originally Posted by Blondie

Abha,
taking off on a tangent ......this site of kanchana's will demo you in dosa making. She came up with simex(south indian mexican) quesa dosai (cross between quesadilla and dosa). After reading her blog I got so inspired and tried it right away and we all loved it . Thats the power of food blogs...

Married To a Desi: Quesa-dosai

TDU,
can you post the name of the place in gaithersburg?? We have chutneys in herndon and Masala Country in centreville both of which are very good and frequented by locals here (non desi's).

We have the authentic South Indian Woodlands in our campus on the West Side Drive off Muddy Road in Gaithersburg.