how to make rotti, a savory South Indian rice pancake

Before I moved to San Diego, I asked my mom to write down the recipes for all her greatest hits. I’d name them for you, but you’ve probably never heard of these dishes. That’s because there are so many North Indian restaurants in America but so few dedicated to South India, where my family hails from. It’s always a treat to share these recipes with friends and readers because these dishes don’t get the airtime they deserve. (Here’s a quick lesson: Chicken tikka masala? Saag paneer? Not a South thing.)

Rotti is a savory rice flour-based pancake made with onions, cilantro and cumin seeds. This was one of my favorite foods growing up and seems to be very specific to my family since none of my South Indian friends know it. (Though, please chime in if you’ve had one of these. I’m curious!) It’s super fast and easy to make, especially since it’s a very as-you-wish dish. Want tons of cilantro? Go for it. Like it onion-y? Go wild. Thick? Thin? The choice is yours.

Ingredients (a rough guideline; feel free to add/reduce onion, cilantro and cumin seeds as you please)
2 cups of rice flour, plus more for mixing
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 hefty bunch of cilantro, minced (stems, too!)
1/3 cup cumin seeds
2 ½ tsp salt
water
Indian pickle (optional)

Directions
1. Brush a cast-iron or other flat pan with oil. I used a 10″ pan and grapeseed oil, which is great for frying as it has a high smoke point.
2. Mix flour, onion, cilantro, cumin seeds and salt in a bowl. Add enough water to make it gummy. It shouldn’t be chalky, but it shouldn’t be too wet either. If your dough gets too watery, add more flour. (You can taste it to see if you’d like more salt, too.)
3. Portion the dough into baseball-size balls and place one in the center of the pan. Spread out into a circle from the center out. The thinner you spread it, the crispier the rotti will be, and vice versa.
4. Using one finger, make holes throughout the rotti.
5. Cook the rotti on the stovetop at high heat for 2 minutes.
6. Drizzle oil lightly over the rotti. (The holes lend a crunchy, textured center.)
7. Reduce heat to medium and cook covered for about 10 minutes.
8. Remove lid and cook for another 2 minutes, or until bottom is browned.
9. Serve immediately with pickle.

Makes about 5 rottis

NOTE #1: To make more than one rotti for, say, a dinner party, you should have two or more pans going at once. If you’re working with one pan, once you’ve taken off a finished rotti, take the pan off the stove, turn it upside down and run it under cold water for 30 seconds. The pan should then be cool enough for the next round.

NOTE #2: If you don’t care for Indian pickle, but still want spice, you can mince and mix in a green chile or two.