Sajja Sankati
Pearl millet stiff porridge — pearl millet (sajja/bajra) flour stirred into a large pot of boiling salted water in a slow, continuous stream while being beaten vigorously with a wooden paddle, cooked over medium heat for twenty minutes until it thickens to a very stiff, cohesive dough-like mass that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot. Wet hands are used to divide the hot sankati into smooth, round balls served directly on the banana leaf or plate. Eaten by tearing off a piece, making a thumb impression, and filling the hollow with gongura pachadi, natu kodi pulusu, or a strong dal. The sankati itself is almost flavourless — entirely neutral starch — and acts as the vehicle for the intensely flavoured accompaniments. The ancestral staple food of rural Telangana for generations; still eaten daily in many rural and semi-urban households.
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Recipe
Ingredients
| 1 cup | sorghum flour (jowar flour) |
| 1/2 cup | rice |
| 3 cups | water |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| — | ghee (optional) |
Instructions
- 1 Wash the rice thoroughly and drain the water.
- 2 In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
- 3 Add the washed rice to the boiling water and cook until the rice is soft and fully cooked.
- 4 Add salt to the cooked rice and stir well.
- 5 Gradually add the sorghum flour to the rice while continuously stirring to avoid lumps.
- 6 Lower the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Let it cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.
- 7 Once the flour is fully cooked and incorporated, turn off the heat.
- 8 Wet your hands with water and shape the mixture into balls (sankati) while it's still warm.
- 9 Serve hot with ghee drizzled on top, if desired.
Tips
For a richer taste, serve Sajja Sankati with a spicy curry or chutney.