Jowar Roti

Sorghum flatbread — finely milled jowar (sorghum) flour mixed with hot water and kneaded into a soft dough while the water is still steaming — the heat is essential to make the gluten-free dough pliable — then divided into rounds, patted by hand directly on the board and transferred to a dry cast-iron tawa, cooked on one side until the bottom sets, turned, and finished directly on the open flame until the roti puffs slightly and develops dark spots. The entire process is done by hand and by feel; no rolling pin is used, and no added oil. The finished roti has a soft, slightly smoky interior and a dry, faintly charred exterior. The staple bread of rural Telangana and North Karnataka; eaten with red chilli-garlic chutney, gongura pachadi, or any dry vegetable curry. The jowar roti's slightly sweet, nutty sorghum flavour is irreplaceable.