Jowar Bhakri

Sorghum flatbread — jowar (sorghum) flour mixed with hot water and a pinch of salt into a soft, pliable dough while still warm — the heat is essential for the gluten-free sorghum flour to bind — then divided into balls, flattened by hand or rolling pin into thick, rough rounds, and cooked on a dry cast-iron tawa over medium-high heat without oil, turned once, then finished directly on the gas flame for a few seconds until it puffs and develops dark spots. The bhakri is thicker and more rustic than roti; it is meant to be broken, not rolled, and used to scoop curries and bhajis. The jowar bhakri is the staple bread of rural Maharashtra and Vidarbha; it provides slow-digesting energy suited to farm labour. Eaten with zunka, ambadi bhaji, shengdana chutney, and thecha; the combination of bhakri and zunka (zunka-bhakar) is the most emblematic meal of Vidarbha.