Name: Rajasthani Pearl Millet Flatbread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 flatbreads
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cups pearl millet flour (bajra atta); 1 tsp kosher salt; 3/4 cup warm water, as needed; 1 tsp ghee for kneading; 1 tsp ghee or oil for the tawa; 2 tbsp melted ghee for brushing; 1/2 tsp garlic-green chili chutney, optional

A rustic unleavened flatbread from the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan, made with stone-ground pearl millet flour and traditionally cooked on a hot tawa. Pairs beautifully with melted ghee, garlic chutney, or a bowl of cooling yogurt, and is especially nourishing in the cold winter months.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Servings4

Yield4 flatbreads

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

215 kcalCalories
6 gFat
2.5 gSaturated Fat
36 gCarbs
5 gFiber
0 gSugar
5.5 gProtein
290 mgSodium
190 mgPotassium
15 mgCalcium
2 mgIron
0 mgVitamin C
25 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the dough

2 cups pearl millet flour (bajra atta)
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup warm water, as needed
1 tsp ghee for kneading

For cooking and serving

1 tsp ghee or oil for the tawa
2 tbsp melted ghee for brushing
1/2 tsp garlic-green chili chutney, optional

Directions

Combine the pearl millet flour and salt in a wide mixing bowl, breaking up any lumps with your fingertips.
Drizzle in the warm water a little at a time, mixing with fingertips just until the flour holds together in a soft mass. Do not knead aggressively or the dough will become gummy.
Add 1 tsp ghee, press through the dough very gently, cover with a damp cloth, and rest 5 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Keep them covered so they don't dry out.
Pat each ball between your lightly greased palms into a round flatbread roughly 5 to 6 inches across, using gentle tapping motions to even out the edges.
Heat a cast iron tawa or heavy skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until a sprinkle of water sizzles and evaporates immediately.
Place one flatbread on the dry tawa, cook 1 to 2 minutes until small dark spots appear, then flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more on the second side.
Using tongs, lift the flatbread directly over a medium gas flame for 8 to 10 seconds to char and puff slightly. Repeat with remaining dough, stacking the cooked breads in a clean kitchen towel.
Brush each hot flatbread generously with melted ghee, sprinkle with garlic chutney if using, fold in half, and serve right away while warm and pliable.

Cook’s Notes

Always use warm water; cold water makes pearl millet dough crumbly and hard to bind.
Eat the flatbreads immediately after cooking because bajra roti hardens quickly once it cools.
If the dough cracks while patting, wet your palms lightly with water to smooth the surface.
Traditional accompaniments include lahsun ki chutney, jaggery with ghee, or ker sangri sabzi for a fully Rajasthani meal.
You can substitute 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour if you want a slightly easier-to-shape dough, but purists stick to 100% bajra.