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Phapar ko roti
फापरको रोटी (phapar ko roti): thin buckwheat flatbread from Mustang, cooked on a hot griddle
Buckwheat grows in terraced fields right up to the edges of the Kali Gandaki gorge, and in Mustang, Manang and Dolpa the morning bread is phapar ko roti, cooked on an iron griddle over the kitchen fire and eaten warm with salt tea. The dough is just buckwheat flour, water and salt, sometimes with grated ginger or a little chopped onion, patted thin and cooked until speckled, and it has a nutty, faintly bitter flavour and a soft, slightly crumbly bite. Lodges serve it with a chilli and tomato achar, with fried eggs for trekkers, or drizzled with local apple-blossom honey (which, of course, makes it no longer vegan). Expect trouble if you try to roll it like a wheat roti; without gluten it cracks and tears. Chef's tip: pat the dough out between two sheets of baking paper with your palm, peel off the top sheet and flip it straight onto the hot pan.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz gluten-free buckwheat flourpure buckwheat, not a wheat blend
- 1 /2 tsp salt
- 1 cm piece fresh gingerfinely grated
- 1 cup warm waterapproximately
- 2 tbsp vegetable or mustard oil
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz gluten-free buckwheat flour, 1 /2 tsp salt and 1 cm piece fresh ginger, then add 1 cup warm water gradually and mix to a soft, smooth dough that holds together without cracking.
3 minStep 2: Rest for 5 minutes, then divide into 8 balls.
5 minStep 3: Heat a griddle or heavy frying pan over a medium heat until a sprinkle of water sizzles away at once.
2 minStep 4: Pat each ball out between two sheets of baking paper to a round about 3–4 mm thick and 14 cm across.
2 minStep 5: Peel off the paper, lay the roti on the griddle and cook for 1 minute until the underside is set, then flip, brush with a little 2 tbsp vegetable or mustard oil and cook for another 1–2 minutes, pressing the edges, until speckled brown on both sides.
16 minStep 6: Keep warm wrapped in a cloth while you cook the rest, and serve with achar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does phapar ko roti take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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