Navratri Kuttu Atta Roti (Soft, No-Crack, Vrat Friendly)

 

Kuttu atta roti is a staple of Navratri fasting, but it has a reputation for cracking and breaking. Buckwheat flour has no gluten, so the dough doesn’t hold together on its own. A boiled potato mashed into the dough fixes that, and a few small habits like warm water, a short rest and generous dusting do the rest.

Recipe used

• 1 cup kuttu atta (buckwheat flour)
• 1 medium potato, boiled and mashed
• Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• Warm water as needed
• 2 tbsp extra atta for dusting
• 1 tsp ghee for cooking

Method:

1. Mix the kuttu atta, mashed potato, rock salt, cumin, chilli and coriander.
2. Add warm water a little at a time and knead into a soft dough. Rest for 10 minutes.
3. Divide into 4 balls, dust with atta and roll gently, pressing any cracks back together.
4. Cook on a hot tawa until spots appear, flip, then add ghee and cook until golden. Serve hot with curd or a vrat sabzi.

Tips for rotis that don’t crack: 

• Mashed potato acts as the binder, so make sure it’s smooth with no lumps.
• Use warm water, rest the dough for 10 minutes and dust well while rolling.
• Roll a little thicker than a wheat roti and press cracks together instead of re-rolling.
• Buy fresh kuttu atta from a trusted shop and check the date and smell before using. Stale flour can upset your stomach, which matters when you’re fasting.
• Allowed ingredients vary by family and region, so adjust the seasoning to match yours.

 Save this for your next fasting day, and tell me in the comments how your rotis came out.