Makki ki roti is a traditional Punjabi flatbread made using maize flour (or cornmeal). Served with sarson ka saag, white butter, or jaggery, this meal is a favorite of North Indians in winter.
If you are a Punjabi, you have naturally grown up eating makki ki roti with sarson ka saag. That combination is a must in winter—a meal that connects us to Punjab, even if we are living anywhere in India.
I was not a fan of saag made at home, yes, you read that right, but I loved makki roti so much that I often ate it with just white butter. My father, on the other hand, never had it without jaggery (gud).
Over the years, I have started loving winter greens, and now I have makki ki roti with saag paneer, or palak paneer, or bathua saag.
Makki means corn but it is not cornflour rather it is cornmeal (finely ground). While making this, I did add cornflour to makki ka atta for binding but honestly, it didn't help much. Next time I will prefer using only makki ka atta.
One may add fresh or dried methi, grated mooli, or bathua leaves along with salt and green chilies to the dough of makki atta. They add amazing flavor to it.
You may try more Indian Breads from my blog: bathua paratha, methi paratha, roti recipe, poori recipe, and missi roti.
Now comes the hard part- how to make it perfectly. I have not yet attained the perfection of classic way of making it- patting with hands and cooking it up in tandoor.
So, I use a thin polythene over the rolling board and pat it gently with water, and lift carefully to cook over a hot iron tawa. Then use ghee or oil to cook it on a slow flame. That has always worked. The shape may not be perfectly round, but the taste is heavenly.
Nothing beats a butter-topped, crispy makki roti with saag and gur!
Ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact measurements of the ingredients.
- Makki ka Atta- It is a gluten free flour.
- Cornflour (opional)
- Salt
- Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
- Warm water for kneading the dough
- Ghee (optional)
How To Make Makki Ki Roti
Step 1. Knead the Makki Atta dough
This is an important step as kneading the right dough helps making the makki roti right the first time.
In a large platter (parath), add maize flour, cornflour, salt, and ajwain. Use warm water to knead a tight dough. It won't gather like wheat flour and will have the tendency to break off into lumps. It is normal, but knead it for about 5-10 minutes. Let it rest and make sure to knead again when making rotis.
Alternatively, a beginner can boil water and gradually add makki atta with salt and spices and cook on a slow flame till it becomes a lump. Take it out on a large parath and knead with your hands when it becomes warm (not hot). Find ragi roti recipe to make roti using this method.
Step 2. Roll it
I have used a clean polythene and wrapped the rolling board in it. This helped me roll the dough by patting it with my hands. Then I gently lifted the rolled dough without breaking it and cooked it over the iron tawa.
Apply ghee on both sides (for vegan, you may use sesame or coconut oil, the flavors won't be the same).
Let it cook on a slow flame on both sides. It takes about 5 minutes.
Step 3. Serve It
Top the crispy makki ki roti with white butter and serve with saag paneer or sarson da saag along with green chili, onions, and jaggery!
Expert Tips
- Use fresh makki atta, as old flour makes the roti dry and prone to breaking
- Add warm water while kneading to help the dough bind well
- Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky, not stiff, and let the dough rest for a few minutes before shaping.
- Pat the roti with hands on a plastic sheet or butter paper, or use a ziplock to roll it with a rolling pin.
- Keep the roti slightly thick to prevent cracking. But make sure to cook on slow flame and applying ghee/oil slowly so that it is not raw from inside.
- Seal cracks with wet fingers before lifting.
Recipe FAQs
Makki ki roti is made using gluten-free maize flour (or cornmeal) along with salt and ajwain (carom seeds) to knead a dough and make rotis (flatbread) using tandoor or tawa. It is traditional Punjab food and pairs best with sarson ka saag.
Makki ki roti is made using maize flour, while regular roti is made with wheat flour. Makki ki roti needs to be hand-patted and cooked thicker, whereas wheat roti is rolled and puffs easily. It is usually eaten as a winter meal with sarson ka saag, unlike everyday wheat roti.
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Makki Ki Roti (Punjabi Maize Flour Flatbread)
Equipment
- 1 Rolling board
- 1 Clean polythene to place over rolling board for patting dough balls with hand
- 1 Iron Tawa
- 1 A large platter for kneading the makki atta dough
Ingredients
- 1 cup Makki ka Atta
- 1 tablespoon Cornflour opional
- 1 teaspoon Ajwain Carom Seeds
- Warm water as needed for kneading the dough
- 1.5 tablespoon Ghee optional
- Salt
Instructions
- Knead the Makki Atta dough
- This is an important step as kneading the right dough helps make the makki roti right the first time.
- In a large platter (parath), add maize flour, cornflour, salt, and ajwain. Use warm water to knead a tight dough. It won't gather like wheat flour and will have the tendency to break off into lumps. It is normal, but knead it for about 5-10 minutes. Let it rest and make sure to knead again when making rotis.
- Alternatively, a beginner can boil water and gradually add makki atta with salt and spices and cook on a slow flame till it becomes a lump. Take it out on a large parath and knead with your hands when it becomes warm (not hot).
- I have used a clean polythene and wrapped the rolling board in it. This helped me roll the dough by patting it with my hands. Then I gently lifted the rolled dough without breaking it and cooked it over the iron tawa.
- Apply ghee on both sides (for vegan, you may use sesame or coconut oil, the flavors won't be the same).
- Let it cook on a slow flame on both sides. It takes about 5 minutes.
- Top the crispy makki ki roti with white butter and serve with saag paneer or sarson da saag along with green chili, onions, and jaggery!
Notes
- Use fresh makki atta, as old flour makes the roti dry and prone to breaking.
- Add warm water while kneading to help the dough bind well.
- Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky, not stiff, and let the dough rest for a few minutes before shaping.
- Pat the roti with hands on a plastic sheet or butter paper, or use a ziplock to roll it with a rolling pin.
- Keep the roti slightly thick to prevent cracking. But make sure to cook on slow flame and applying ghee/oil slowly so that it is not raw from inside.
- Seal cracks with wet fingers before lifting.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 4 | |
| Servings: 2 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 271 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 11.4g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat 6.2g | 31% |
| Cholesterol 25mg | 8% |
| Sodium 598mg | 26% |
| Total Carbohydrate 39.7g | 14% |
| Dietary Fiber 3.8g | 13% |
| Total Sugars 0.3g | |
| Protein 4.2g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 4mg | 0% |
| Iron 2mg | 10% |
| Potassium 150mg | 3% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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