Sel Roti

http://tasteofnepal.blogspot.com/2013/07/momos-or-dumplings.html


The following recipe is handed down from a centuries old tradition.  Here's what you need to make small-size (10-12 pieces) Sel-Roti: 

Ingredients - 

• 3 cups of white rice, 
• 1 medium very ripe banana, peeled and mashed, 
• 1 cup sugar, or to taste, 
• 3/4 cup unsalted melted butter or clarified butter (gheu), 
• 1/2 cup rice flour, as needed, 
• 4/5 cups of vegetable oil for deep-frying.  

Start by soaking the rice at least 4 hours or overnight.  Drain and place in a blender or food processor with the banana, sugar, butter and process, adding up to 1 1/2 cups of water to make a semi-thick puree.  You may have to do this in two batches.  

Remove the batter and place in a mixing bowl and beat with hand vigorously to make it fluffy semi-thick smooth batter.  Cover and set aside to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.  

When the batter is well rested, mix it  again with your hand until all the ingredients in the batter are fully mixed - this process is called "peenako chaamal lai beskaree faaune" in Nepali.  The consistency should be similar to thick pourable heavy cream.  If the batter is too runny, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice flour and mix well.  If it seems too thick, gradually add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and mix well.  

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot (350 to 375 degree).  Test the readiness by placing a small drop of batter into the hot oil.  If it bubbles and rises to the surface immediately, it is ready.  

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the oil slowly, making a large circle.  You can use your hand, or a squeezable paper or plastic cup or a pastry bag with a medium-size opening to pour the batter.  Stretch and move the batter using a spoon or a thick wooden sticks (khaptero) to create  round shape.  As the Sel-Roti puffs and rises, push it into the oil with the back of a spoon until it is light golden brown.  Flip and fry the second side until brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the batter. 

Sel-Roti is delicious by itself, but can also be served with plain yogurt, fried vegetables, and Nepali radish or cucumber pickles.  Sel tastes best when it is fresh; it becomes somewhat chewy and tough the next day, although it still tastes good this way. It is a non-perishable bread, and can be kept at room temperature for more than a week.

Making Sel-Roti may appear straightforward, but there are several tricks to make it perfect.  While frying the bread,  keep the temperature constant for even cooking. If the oil is too hot, the batter will brown too quickly and the insides may remain undercooked and doughy.  If the oil is not hot enough, the batter will absorb a lot of oil.  Before adding another batch of batter, the temperature should be adjusted.  The right amount of clarified butter in the batter (gheu) helps to make Sel-Roti light buttery-crisp.  

Check frequently for the right consistency and texture of the batter.  The sugar content in the batter makes a difference, as too much sugar will make extra crispy and brittle Sel-Roti.  The shape of the pan is equally important - heavy frying pan is preferred and should be deep enough for the bread to float easily.  Too less oil in the pan will make a flat and sunken Sel-Roti.  One has to get used to pouring the batter into the hot oil, always go close to the oil and use slow and steady motion.

This photo is taken at the most famous local sweet shop at Maru Tole, Kathmandu, named Shree Purna Ashok Bhandar.  The sweet shop staff is showing me a copper kitchen equipment specially made to pour the batter to prepare the bread.  First, he places a finger at the bottom opening and fills the batter on top.  When ready, he removes his finger from the plugged hole, and allow the batter to fall directly into the bubbling oil in a circular motion to create perfect Sel-Roti.  

Alternately, you can use many other equipment to pour the batter in the oil. Many cooks prefer to use half of a coconut shell with a hole on the middle to pour the batter.  Some use reusable pastry bag (piping bag) made out of heavy thick cloth with the opening at the bottom end.  The batter is filled in the cloth, then squeezed and pressed through the hole to shape the Sel-Roti.  Some prefer leaf plates (Tapari - Bota) to squeeze the batter into the hot oil or even inexpensive squeezable large bottle with a opening is used.

In the next block almost near the Annapurna Temple, Ason Tole, another Sel-Roti is being fried.  Two women have set up a road side snack stall and are carefully placing the batter in the hot oil to make several small Sel-Roti for breakfast delights.