The Sindhi koki
Deepa Chauhan
We love our koki, and we love hosting with aplomb too. A full size koki can keep you satiated for hours. Perhaps that is why koki almost never features in festive meals or party menus. Lately, I have been putting koki on tasting menus, grazing boards as well as high tea. The recipe below will help you make the basic koki – once you have mastered the art – go ahead and express it in your own way. It can be made ahead when entertaining a large gathering as it keeps well for 2-3 days.
SINDHI KOKI
The most iconic of Sindhi breads, this shortened dough flat bread is the perfect travel companion as it does not spoil for 2-3 days.
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour – 400 gm
Ghee or oil – 50 gm
Anardana powder – ¾ tsp
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Green chillies, finely chopped – 1 tsp
Coriander leaves, finely chopped – 1 tbsp
Onion, finely chopped – 1 medium
Ghee or oil for brushing / shallow frying.
Method:
In a mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and combine well. Add room temperature ghee or shortening of choice by pouring it evenly on the surface of the mixture. Now rub the ghee into the flour with your hands for 3-4 minutes till you get a sandy texture. The dough should hold it’s shape when held tight in your fist. Now add all the fresh ingredients and combine thoroughly. Add room temperature water one or two tablespoons at a time and make a tight dough. DO NOT KNEAD. Bring the dough together by tightening and knocking rather than kneading. Keep it aside to rest for 10-12 minutes.
Divide the dough into 6 – 8 balls.
Heat a thick griddle or tawa on medium heat. Gently warm the flattened dough balls on each side on the outer edge of the griddle. This step will help the fat in the dough melt and help you roll it out without using any dusting flour. Roll the dough into a 6-8 inch disk, approximately ½ cm thick. Make a trellis pattern on each side by scoring with a paring or utility knife on both sides taking care not to make deep cuts. These scoring marks help in even cooking of the koki.
Cook the koki on the tawa or griddle like you would cook a paratha, but flipping often so that the heat is evenly distributed and cooking is uniform.
Apply oil or ghee to finish. Serve with curd sprinkled with salt and pepper. A sindhi papad is the perfect accompaniment.
For most Sindhis, Koki is not just sustenance. It is comfort, home and a balm for the soul in one bite. The koki is a hearty meal as well as a trusted travel companion. As part of my showcasing our iconic recipes in major hotels around India, I present it as a teaser and small bites opening the mind to the feast that is to follow. In pic – Koki as part of a grazing board
