Sel Roti
crisp-edged ring of fried fermented rice batter, lightly sweet and cardamom-scented
Start the day before. The soaking alone is 8 hr, against 55 min of actual work.
Allergens in Sel Roti: milk.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 500g, raw, not basmati Rice
- 120g Sugar
- 3 tbsp, melted and cooled Ghee
- 6 pods, seeds ground fine Cardamom
- 60ml Milksome households use water; milk gives a softer crumb inside the crisp shell
- about 150ml, for adjusting the batter Water
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 litre, for deep frying Neutral Oil
- 2, ground Clovesoptional
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai, blender
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the rice in cold water for at least 8 hours, or overnight. It has to be fully softened or the batter will be gritty.
- The batter then rests 3-4 hours in a warm spot to ferment. Plan for most of a day, or soak overnight and fry in the afternoon.
- Have a wide, deep pan and a long skewer or chopstick ready before you start frying. The rings are turned with the skewer, not tongs.
Method
- Drain the soaked rice thoroughly and spread it on a cloth for 15 minutes until the surface looks dry.Wet rice means a slack batter, and slack batter will not hold a ring in hot oil.
- Grind the rice in batches with the milk and only as much of the water as it takes to move the blades, to a thick, completely smooth batter.Grind longer rather than adding water. The batter should fall from a spoon in a heavy ribbon.
- Beat in the sugar, melted ghee, ground cardamom, cloves and salt, then beat by hand for a good 5 minutes.That beating aerates the batter, and aeration is what gives sel roti its light inside.
- Cover and leave in a warm place for 3-4 hours, until the batter has risen slightly and smells faintly sweet and sour.
- Heat the oil in a kadhai to about 170C. A drop of batter should sink briefly, then rise within 3 seconds.Too hot and the ring browns before the middle sets; too cool and it drinks oil and goes heavy.
- Pour the batter into a squeeze bottle or a piping bag. Working quickly, pipe a 12cm ring onto the surface of the oil, joining the ends.
- Let it fry undisturbed 1 minute, until it floats free and the top loses its shine.
- Turn it with a skewer through the hole and fry another 2 minutes until both sides are a deep reddish gold.
- Drain on a wire rack, not paper, and fry the rest one or two at a time.
- Cool at least 10 minutes before eating. The crispness only arrives as they cool.
Storage
Keeps 3 days at room temperature in a tin, and stays edible for a week. Refresh in a dry pan over low heat for a minute a side; do not refrigerate, which makes them leathery.
Nutrition Low estimate
One serving of Sel Roti (253 g) is about 965 calories, or 382 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 9 g a serving, 4% of the calories
| Per serving253 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 965 kcal | 382 kcal |
| Protein | 8.8 g | 4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 129.9 g | 51 g |
| of which sugars | 30.7 g | 12 g |
| Fibre | 0.0 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 45.3 g | 18 g |
| of which saturated | 10.0 g | 4 g |
| of which unsaturated | 33.0 g | 13 g |
Syrup left in the bowl, or batter that yields more than the stated servings, means the real figures are likely lower. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Northeast Indian recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.