Gur Rotis/ Indian flatbread with jaggery

“The act of putting into your mouth what the earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the earth.” ~ Frances Moore Lappe

Looking back at my growing up years, I have memories associating people & places with food. When I think of my maternal grandmother, the first food that comes to my mind is sweet jaggery rotis or as she would call them ‘rote’. I remember her bent over the kitchen counter, praying under her breath, diligently working on making the best mithi rotis in this whole world. Her explanation for praying while cooking- your thoughts travel to the food and further to the nourishment it provides.  As children you find everything that grown- ups do amusing, but, many years later, I couldn't agree more.

She would knead the dough with jaggery water, add a generous amount of ghee (clarified butter), fennel seeds, sesame seeds and knead the whole thing into a smooth dough. Then came the cutest part, after rolling out the rotis n sprinkling the tops with poppy seeds, she would take off her ring, wash it well, dry it and then make these circular marks on the rotis. As a child I always thought this was her way of ‘branding’ what she made. But realized much later that it was done to make sure that they cook through. 

While the rotis are being cooked , your entire house is smelling of gur. Its heavenly ! Cooking  jaggery gives such an intoxicatingly sweet aroma, that I am sure if you stick your tongue out and stand for long enough you will be able to taste the sweetness as well.

My son is mad about these rotis and loves to snack on them and I am a happy mom.  Wholewheat flour, gur, ghee, a lot of different seeds…. It makes a great replacement for packaged biscuits, cookies & other stuff that has a shelf life so long, that I shudder to even think of all the preservatives they are laced with.

Sweet Jaggery Rotis

300 gms           Wholewheat flour
220 gms           Jaggery
50-65 gms        Ghee or clarified butter
1.5 tsp             Sesame seeds
1 tsp                Flax seeds
1 tsp                Fennel seeds
1 tsp                Poppy seeds
1/3 C               Water
1- 2 Tbsp          Ghee, to cook the rotis


1. In a pan add water and grated jaggery. Mix well till it has dissolved completely. Strain and let it cool.

2. In another bowl or dish add the flour, the jaggery water and all other ingredients.

3. Knead the dough, using extra water, if required.

4. Grease your rolling pin and the surface. Roll out thick rotis. If the rotis are rolled out thinly they get very dry and tend to harden up after being cooked.

5. Before putting them on the griddle prick them with a fork or a knife. It helps to cook them through.

6. Cook them on medium heat a griddle. Apply ghee on both sides of the roti,and cook on medium high flame, till they are cooked through.

NOTE: While cooking, handle them with care or they might break. Though they firm up once cooled.

Once cooled store the in an airtight container.