Sel roti is the festive bread of Nepali-speaking communities in Sikkim, Darjeeling and Nepal, made in large quantities for Tihar and Dashain and for weddings. Families gather early in the morning to make them, and they are shared with neighbours and relatives and kept for days as a snack. Many households still keep the batter recipe by feel rather than measure.
Rice soaked overnight is ground with sugar, ghee and mashed banana into a thick batter, then poured into hot oil in a large ring by hand. The roti puffs and browns, crisp at the edges and soft, spongy and chewy within, faintly sweet with the aroma of ghee and cardamom. It is eaten with tea, with aloo dum or with yogurt.
At a glance
| Region | Sikkim |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Sikkimese |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Bread |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 60 minutes |
| Serves | 6 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | rice / sugar / ghee / banana |
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw rice (sona masoori or local rice), soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 3 tbsp ghee, melted
- 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
- 1/2 cup milk or water, as needed
- A pinch of baking soda (optional)
- Oil for deep frying
Method
- Drain the soaked rice well and spread it on a cloth for 15 minutes to remove excess water.
- Grind the rice with sugar and banana, adding milk a little at a time, to a fine, thick batter that flows slowly like thick pancake batter. It should not feel gritty when rubbed between fingers.
- Stir in the melted ghee and cardamom. Cover and rest for 1-2 hours at room temperature. Add the baking soda just before frying if using.
- Heat the oil in a deep kadhai on medium heat until a drop of batter rises immediately with steady bubbles.
- Take a handful of batter in your fist, or fill a squeeze bottle, and pour it into the oil in a large ring about 12 cm across, closing the circle where you started.
- Fry for about 1 minute until the underside is golden, then flip with a long stick or skewer and fry another minute until both sides are reddish-golden.
- Lift out with the skewer through the centre and drain on a rack. Fry the rest, stirring the batter between batches.
Tips
- If the ring breaks up in the oil, the batter is too thin – add a spoon of rice flour.
- Practise the ring shape on a plate with a squeeze bottle before trying it in the oil.
- Keep the oil at a steady medium; too hot and the outside browns while the inside stays raw.
Serve with
Milky tea, aloo dum or thick yogurt.