Rumali roti

The other day when I visited the India grocery store here, I saw among ready-to-eat food, packets of Rumali roti. To me more than eating Rumali Roti, the art of its making by an expert is more fascinating. When I visited Calcutta, nearby my sister-in-law's house there was a person who was making these in a road side stall. He used to come only in the evenings and there used to be people waiting with their orders.

He took the dough and patted in his hands to make it little round and then he transferred the small round piece to his index finger, spun it and tossed it in air. As it spun and came down it had grown into a big circular piece which he caught expertly. He had an earthen pot with holes placed over coal fire. He placed the big round piece on top of the holes and as it got cooked, he reversed the side and repeated the cooking. Meanwhile he had already started patting the dough, spinning it in air etc. Before the second one came down he had removed the cooked roti, folded it like a handkerchief and placed on the plate. It was such an expert job, I was just watching, forgetting to place my order.

Later, in Mumbai during one of our International conference dinners, the organizers had arranged Rumali Roti to be prepared by an expert. I still remember the awe in the foreign delegates' eyes at the expert preparation and they went on clicking. Recently, one of my American colleague who had visited India told me that the five star hotel he stayed in Mumbai ( I think he mentioned the Taj continental) had this Rumali Roti and he narrated to us how he was amazed by the timing of the expert.

Dear TDU,
I enjoyed reading your middle as much as I enjoy, watching with fascination, the way a rumali roti is being made !
Now a days, in all leading restaurants here, you can watch the preparations getting ready, through glass doors. I always perch myself near the rumali roti "stall" & enjoy. It is as though the chef is graciously performing a dance ! I am amazed at his concentration because it demands such - I tried at home & miserably failed.
The same way, in Madurai, you must have seen Purota (as it is called) being made in road side shops (though very often, under most unhygienic conditions !) with such dexterity & grace. Particularly Muttai Parota is a great favourite there.
Thanks for writing about a topic, we generally fail to appreciate (more because we are bothered to "devour" it , never taking time to appreciate the artistic labour which goes into making it !).
Regards,
Chithra.

Dear TDU
You are right. I also find that the foreigners visiting India are more fascinated by the manner in which Indian dishes are prepared than the recipes thereof! I have witnessed too the look of awe in their eyes at the sight of the birth of a Rumali Roti. Is it called Rumali Roti because it resembles a rumal while in the making?
Another sight that fascinates them is the manner in which the temperature of a cup of filter coffee is brought down to a drinkable level by repeatedly transferring it between two vessels. The one on the right hand is a tumbler held far above the head and the other in the left hand is a Dabara held at the groin level. In Chennai, Dakshin Restaurant at the Park Sheraton has an expert named Iyengar who excels in it. Naturally he is the most photographed Chef in Chennai!
Sri

Hi TDU,

Yummy post, that! the visual imagery was so realistic i could see the dough swirling and growing bigger and bigger...
here in Karama, we have Simran's Aappa kadai( yes, the actress'...) where they make your choice of aappams right in front of your eyes... and serve you garam garam...quite a contrast- these uniformed chefs swirling the aappa chatti unlike the squat woman sitting in front of her stove and aappa chatti and her sooda thinnu saami...

hi tdu,

That was a wonderful description. I am always fascinated with the way these guys just flip it up and catch it....never miss one..

Nice slurpy...... yummy...... post. Makes me feel hungry, rumali roti is my favourite when it comes to the variety of rotis.

Dear TDU

Rumali roti and Parotas ... preperation is a great sight to watch.... Nice to eat....also .

But the way they throw and catch without missing...... We should ask our Men in Blue to prctice it, so that they will not miss a catch.....

Veda

Dear TDU,

This was a very interesting observation from you which was at once tasteful and tasty!
Rumali roti is always associated with a certain home-sickness, where I am concerned. The reason being, I had no idea about rumali rotis as a young person while living in India. Where were they those days?? Anyways, on one of my vacations to India, my sister and bil introduced us to rumali rotis. We especially drove to a place in B'lore that specialised it and ate hot hot freshly made (yes..with all its show piece brilliance) rotis which were folded into many layers and served with yummy curries. Those days, my sis was so taken up with its intricacies, she had mastered the art of preparing rumali rotis at home and served us many a tasty meal. Mind you, she did not throw it in the air or twirl it !! She was not going to spend the time cleaning her kitchen if she missed the roti :)) In spite of it, the tasty rumali rotis did not lose their charm.

L, Kamla

Hi TDU,

I too like the way Rumali's and parota's are prepared. The chef turns to an acrobat and a juggler.

Similar is the skill of the noodle chef's in South East Asia. A single dump of dough is turned into strands of noodles by swirling and rotating in the air.

Originally Posted by Chitvish

Dear TDU,
I enjoyed reading your middle as much as I enjoy, watching with fascination, the way a rumali roti is being made !
Now a days, in all leading restaurants here, you can watch the preparations getting ready, through glass doors. I always perch myself near the rumali roti "stall" & enjoy. It is as though the chef is graciously performing a dance ! I am amazed at his concentration because it demands such - I tried at home & miserably failed.
The same way, in Madurai, you must have seen Purota (as it is called) being made in road side shops (though very often, under most unhygienic conditions !) with such dexterity & grace. Particularly Muttai Parota is a great favourite there.
Thanks for writing about a topic, we generally fail to appreciate (more because we are bothered to "devour" it , never taking time to appreciate the artistic labour which goes into making it !).
Regards,
Chithra.

Thank you, Chihra madam. Yes, I have watched the parota being made expertly at Madurai Muniandi Vilas hotel. While going to school (St.mary's High School ) from Vadakku masi veethi, we used to pass through Chintamani talkies and just before that this Muniyandi Vilas hotel was there. My non-brahmin friends used to tease me watching parota being made. They used to say that I was watching the menu board where they used to display 'Aatukal soup, Eral varuval' etc. and I am letting out jollu.

Regards,

TDU