Roath

Roath is a kashmiri bread/Roti and it's usually cooked on a kashmiri festival - pann (meaning thread in english). It is really similar to thekua (a dry sweet from Bihar) usually cooked during chaat pooja. The two have nearly identical flavour profiles, but very different techniques.

Cooking isn't an exact science and therefore, I usually don't weigh my ingredients; it's predominantly instinct. However, baking is different - baking requires precision and I weigh my ingredients to the last gram. The only other thing to note while making this is to not overwork the dough as it'll become after baking, which we don't want.

Roath go really well with Kashmiri Kehwa (a sweet, spice-infused tea) or Noon chai( a salted kashmiri tea). I will be mentioning both of these in future upcoming posts.

The key ingredients you require are patience and commitment and rest everything you can get from the supermarket or online.

Ingredients

1. Wheat flour/Gehu aata - 3 cups (340 grams)

2. sugar - 1-1.5 cups (powdered)

3. Ghee/Clarified butter - 3/4 cup (do not exceed this) for the batter and 300 ml for frying.

4. Dry nuts - 50 grams

5. Luke warm milk - 250 ml -300 ml (this might vary while you are kneading the dough)

6. Black cardamom/kali elaichi - 5

7. Poppy seeds/khasakhas - 60 grams

8. Dry coconut flakes - 25 grams

9. Edible silver leaf

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Cooking Time - 30-45 mins

Process

Something that helps me focus, and you're welcome to try it as well, is to line up the ingredients in the following order

• Wheat flour

• sugar

• ghee (3/4 of the cup)

• Dry nuts

• Coconut flakes

• Black cardamom

• Lukewarm Milk

1. Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. I personally prefer using my hands during the entire process and avoid using a whisk or a food processor.

2. Add ghee and mix thoroughly to make sure there are no lumps. The texture should be like dry soil.

3. Add in the dry nuts, coconut flakes and black cardamom seeds. Mix well again.

4. Now take the lukewarm milk and start adding slowly with one hand and keep bringing the mixture together with other.

5. Keep adding the milk and mixing till a soft dough is formed.

6. After you see all the ingredients incorporated together set the dough aside.

7. On your kitchen slab dust some wheat flour and put the dough on it, using the lower palm of your hand knead the dough by spreading it and then pushing it back together. If you want you can just lift the dough and then throw it hard on the kitchen slab in order to knock out any excess air pockets.

8. Keep kneading the dough till its flexible and then set aside. If after kneading the dough you still see cracks developing, dust some more flour and knead it for 4-6 minutes again.

9. Roll the dough into balls equivalent to a Roti/Tortilla in size and then using a rolling pin roll it evenly. Move the rolling pin all the way through so that it is rolls evenly from all sides.

10. Take a pan/fryer and fill it halfway with Ghee/clarified butter and patiently wait till it's hot.

11. Gently immerse the flattened dough and let it fry for 3-4 minutes on each side and then take it out.

12. Gently sprinkle poppy seeds/khasakhas on it and then slowly place your edible silver leaf over it and let it cool.

13. Repeat the process and relish the delicacy.

Do try and leave your comments and feel free to add anything you like.