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Moha Sets New Benchmarks for the Perfect Punjabi Makki-di-Roti

DIY Cooking How to Make Makki Di Roti Pic
Moha's Makki Di Roti
It has been a blend of poor health, slow recovery, great food and trying to scrape my way to better health this winter season in Delhi. The food part is what am going to share today and I say this without a shadow of doubt that my wife, Moha is perhaps the best cook when it comes to truly north Indian food. Anyone in Delhi can challenge us and we will be ready with our gastronomic wisdom and the fortitude to take upon the most challenging recipes. Why am I babbling about like this? 

Last night, Moha cooked the most sinfully addictive, borderline-heavenly, almost orgasmic Makki Di Roti. You need to understand that most parts of north India currently in the gallows of extremely chilly conditions would be consuming this semi-roasted, semi-greased stuff but everyone has a slightly different way of doing it, every household has their own special recipe but I now know for sure that none of them can outdo what I ate last night. Perhaps the magic lies in my wife's love 

What made it so special?

Roasted with patience of an angel: it takes time for great things to happen and this couldn’t be truer for Makki Di Roti that has been slowly turned on either sides for several minutes. Even the tandoori variety does not come close to this because serious time has been invested to ensure the moist dough inside loses all of its moisture. You don't want any type of under-cooked surfaces in Makki Di Roti since only the well-crusted bits taste the way they are supposed to!


No soft spots: I cannot emphasize this enough and despite repeated arguments with friends and colleagues, I staunchly support the cause of a Makki Di Roti being crisper, crumblier, crustier, and more reddish-brown than what the convention suggests. You want every bit to make serious audiophile tones when your teeth grind them. Not recommended if you have a cavity waiting for its filling. Dental appointment first, then comes Moha Di Makki Roti.


Greased with space-age precision: I might have pioneered the cause of greasing paranthas and other tawa items in what I call a “semi” way. This takes patience too. You need to work with the smallest drops, spread evenly and flattened with a small spoon. The flame cannot be too high and this is what make our Makki Di Roti so special. You could barely see any greasing but yes, the outermost surface wore a slightly dark-hued layer that meant it wasn’t too dry.

Served strategically: this is perhaps the least understood part of really enjoying a meal. When you are eating something that is supposed to be served right off the flame, you cannot afford being lazily spread in front of the TV. You need to ditch the living room lazy boy seats and find a corner for yourself in the kitchen. For me, this holds true even when I wasn’t served the magical Makki Di Roti – it is winter time in Delhi and rather than being cooped-up in my room, I get to enjoy freshly cooked food, served with the warmth of a burning flame and the bubbling conversations


Accompanied by curdy contrast: I will be blogging about eating curd that has been whisked with shakkar. This is no ordinary curd preparation. It takes some expertise in dumping truckloads of shakkar in curd and then churning it to consistency. The final offering should be without any soft lumps or the curd’s natural water. You might want to use hung curd or the one prepared from creamier milk. The sweetness of jaggery is a complete contrast to the fact that this Makki Di Roti had a bit of natural spices and some salt to it. We weren’t aiming for making the preparation tangy – that is not how Makki Di Roti is supposed to taste. It has this earthy flavor that is beautifully contrasted by sweet shakkar curd mix. There is one school of thought that believes in sinking each bite into dollops of butter. I find this unnecessary - a greasy weight to carry, a baggage you don't need to since butter in minimal amounts too boosts the taste. Just go slow on the buttery thing, try to soak-in the real, smokey flavor...this is my advice to those who agree so far and are ready to read ahead my discussion about DIY winter food experiments...


Optimal serving a savior: if it was entirely up to me, I might have consumed double the volumes but thankfully I have a smart wife to ensure that I don't eat like a pig. It was difficult to stop myself and I needed the intervention. This also meant that I could relish the aftertaste rather than complain about the excess food choking-up my food pipe – that unwarranted feeling of fullness tends to kill the after-glory that follows a meal so special.  


No overwhelming accessories: many people tend to ruin the original taste that is so unsophisticated – this is what makes Makki Di Roti so special. Using salads or pickles that have too much salt, oil or spices means you are depriving yourself of the real flavors. My advice to all Makki Di Roti eaters is to stay away from overtly-salty butter options too. Just add a teaspoon of Amul when the roti is served in your plate and stop at it. Further exploration should be without anything too salty. Moha ensure I had plain salad which ensured the essence wasn’t lost. So, here I go with one more advice for all those still finding their feet in this jungle of gastronomic riches. Try not to overdo too much of the pickles or anything that is sour and vinegar-overwhelmed. The excessively citrus like flavor


Munchier without challenging chewing competency: what sets apart the Moha version from other wannabies? Maintaining the munchiness of Makki Ki Roti without making it seem like a challenge for our teeth. You want the crumbliness to be controlled, the Roti has to be rolled into the desired thinness with utmost care. Only someone truly gifted or passionately self-trained can do this. You realize this when the butter coating spreads in the most smooth manner without creating any tributaries or distributaries…testament to a finely rolled Roti.


Deviating minimally from the tried & tested path: we used Methi in the dough mix but in a very basic way. The presence of this green leafy veggies brings a lot to the table. For starters, the greenish tinge contrasts with the dark yellow-golden dough. Aesthetics apart, Methi adds to the flavor. Difference between plain and Methi-infused Makki Di Roti is immense – almost oceans apart. For someone who like to eat the fare with lots of curd, the use of Methi also contributes to creating the contrast of flavor…something you want!

1 comment:

  1. My obsession for eating makki di roti this time runs so strong that it is summer season 2018 and am still gorging on them, usually with mishti dahi by Mother Dairy or with homemade curd...just cannot get over the obsession!

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