Roat
Veg
Sacred festival wheat-jaggery cake — a thick, unleavened wheat flour flat cake sweetened with coarsely powdered jaggery and fennel seeds, cooked on a tawa in ghee until both sides are golden-brown and the jaggery has caramelised within the dough. Made specifically for the Harela festival (the Garhwali new year celebration marking the start of the monsoon) and offered first to the gods. The roat is made fresh, blessed, and shared among the family. Its simplicity is intentional — it is a sacred offering, not a complex confection.
Cuisines
Garhwali
Best for
Snacks
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
|
1 cup | Whole wheat flour |
|
1 cup | Jaggery |
|
1 cup | Water |
|
2 tablespoons | Ghee , for frying |
|
1 teaspoon | Fennel Seed |
|
1/4 teaspoon | Baking soda |
|
1/4 teaspoon | Cardamom , powder |
|
pinch | Salt |
Instructions
- 1 In a pan, heat 1 cup of water and add jaggery. Stir until the jaggery dissolves completely. Let it cool.
- 2 In a mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, fennel seeds, baking soda, cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt.
- 3 Add the cooled jaggery syrup to the dry ingredients and mix to form a smooth batter.
- 4 Heat ghee in a pan for frying.
- 5 Pour a ladleful of batter into the hot ghee and fry on medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
- 6 Remove and drain on paper towels to remove excess ghee.
- 7 Repeat with the remaining batter.
Tips
Ensure the jaggery syrup is completely cooled before mixing with the flour to avoid lumps.