Nutritious Roti

Poshtik roti packed with greens and low gluten nutritious flours

One of the biggest diet fads emerging in the last two years is the Gluten free diet. Time labeled it as #2 top 10 trends of 2012. Numerous cookbooks have gluten-free recipes, consumers have a choice to order gluten free pizzas, wedding cakes, donuts, and the list goes on. With its popularity soaring, gluten free food isn't just for health food stores anymore. Stores like Walmart, Domino's, Target are carrying several G-free foods and capitalizing on this growing trend.

Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with Celiac disease and those with gluten sensitivity control their signs and symptoms and prevent complications. But what about people without Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity that go gluten free to loose weight or get more energy? Research shows that going gluten free has a harmful effect to the good bacteria in our gut. It alters the gut flora and allows bad bacteria to grow. So I guess a middle ground makes for a more healthy alternative for us who want to just limit our gluten intake. In most Indian households, roti dominates as the staple and is the hardest thing to change for a lot of people.

In my quest to come up with a low gluten roti I have been experimenting on a number of gluten free and low gluten flours available in the market. In the list below all flours are gluten free except oatmeal and barley which have a low gluten content. All the ingredients are packed with vitamins and are high in protein content. Feel free to alter the flour ratios as per your taste.

Ingredients (serves 4, makes 8-10)

1/4 cup each sorghum, quinoa, oatmeal, teff, barley, brown rice and soy flour
6 cups greens (spinach, methi, kale), washed, drained and finely chopped
Handful flax meal
1 boiled potato
1 tbsp garlic grated
1 tbsp ginger grated
green chilies
1/4 tsp ajwain seeds
salt to taste (optional)
Oil for shallow frying(optional)
Mix all the ingredients and make a stiff dough using as little water as possible. The greens usually have a high water content so keep that in mind.
You can add salt and other spices if you plan to eat these as parathas. If you are making these as rotis for a meal accompaniment then omit salt.
Divide the dough into 8-10 balls. Using dry flour roll carefully into 6-7 inch diameter. Cook on a hot tava till light brown spots appear and roti is cooked through. Use oil if you are making parathas.
Enjoy.

low-gluten and gluten-free nutritious flours

Common hindi names of these ingredients
Sorghum flour - Jowar ka atta
Barley flour- Jau ka atta