Makki di roti
Vegetarian
ਮੱਕੀ ਦੀ ਰੋਟੀ · makki di roti
Thick, crumbly yellow-maize flatbread patted out by hand, cooked on the tawa and topped with white butter. The essential winter partner to sarson da saag in Punjab.
Makki di roti is a Punjabi bread from India, ready in about 55 minutes and made with cornmeal and ghee. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 190
Ingredients
For cooking
To serve
Method
Step 1
Mix the maize flour, salt and ajwain (opens in a new tab) (and atta (opens in a new tab) if using). Pour in the hot water gradually, mixing with a spoon, then cover and rest 10 minutes until cool enough to handle.
Food safety: Hot water: mix with a spoon first, not your hands.
Step 2
Knead the dough with the heel of your hand for 3–4 minutes until smooth and pliable; it should not crack when pressed. Knead only enough for 2 rotis at a time and keep the rest covered — maize dough dries fast.
- 4 min
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels Step 3
Take a 70 g ball, flatten it between damp palms, then pat it out on a piece of parchment or a cut plastic bag into a 13–15 cm round about 5 mm thick, turning it as you go.
- 3 min
Rolling pins tend to crack gluten-free dough; patting is traditional.
Step 4
Heat the tawa over medium heat. Invert the roti onto your palm, peel off the sheet and lay it on the tawa. Cook 1½–2 minutes until it releases and has golden spots, flip and cook the other side.
How it looks · Photo: Muhammad Khawar Nazir on Pexels Step 5
Smear with ghee (opens in a new tab) on both sides and cook, pressing lightly, until crisp-edged and cooked through, about 1–2 minutes more. Serve topped with butter (opens in a new tab).
- 15 min
- medium heat
About this dish
- Origin
- Punjab, India · Well documentedEaten across the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads
- Cooking method
- Pan-fried, Toasted
- Taste
- sweet, earthy, buttery
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredientsWithout the optional extras: No gluten ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free - Good for
- Budget-friendly
- Techniques
- Toasting · Pan-frying · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Kneading
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee, butter
- Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom whole-wheat flour
- Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom whole-wheat flour
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
190 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 75 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 7%
- Carbohydrate 65%
- Fat 28%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 190 kcal | 254 kcal |
| Protein | 3.4 g | 4.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 32 g | 42.7 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 29 g | 38.7 g |
| Sugars | 0.3 g | 0.4 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 3 g | 4.1 g |
| Fat | 6 g | 7.9 g |
| Saturated fat | 3 g | 4 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 11 mg | 15 mg |
| Sodium | 210 mg | 279 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.7 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 120 mg
- Calcium
- 6 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 54 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 42 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 10 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- Optional ingredients are not included: ajwain, whole-wheat flour, butter.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Damp hands help smooth cracks at the edges.
Common mistakes
- Using coarse cornmeal or cold water — the dough won't bind and the rotis crumble.
Serve with
- Serve with sarson da saag, white butter, jaggery and a glass of lassi.
Storage
- Eat fresh; they harden as they cool.
Reheating
- Warm on a tawa with a little ghee.
Variations
- Mooli or methi makki roti: Knead in grated, squeezed radish or chopped fenugreek leaves for a softer roti.
Is makki di roti gluten-free?
Yes, if you omit the optional wheat flour and use maize flour milled without wheat cross-contact.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Cornmeal250 g
- Whole-wheat flour (optional)25 g
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 45 min
Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.
Rest · about 10 min
Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.
- Start to finish: about 55 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
The dough
| Ingredient | Role | Weight | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornmeal | Flour | 250 g | 100% |
| Water | Water | 200 g | 80% |
| Salt | Salt | 3 g | 1.2% |
- Total flour
- 250 g
- Hydration
- 80%
- With milk, eggs…
- 80%
- Wholegrain
- 100%
Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.
- Wet dough (over 75%) — sticky; use wet hands and folds instead of kneading. Ciabatta, focaccia and open sourdough.
- Salt 1.2% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
- 100% wholegrain — absorbs more water and gives a denser, nuttier loaf.
If something goes wrong
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Tough or chewy flatbread
Likely causes
- Dough too stiff
- Not rested
- Cooked too slowly on too cool a pan
What to do
- Add water until the dough is soft and slightly tacky
- Rest 20–30 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes
- Cook on a very hot tawa or pan — quickly
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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