Whenever mustard greens (sarson ka saag) are cooked at our house, rice flour roti becomes everyone’s absolute favorite companion. And why shouldn’t it be? The delicious combination of rich, velvety, buttery saag paired with warm, lightly salted, and crispy rice flour roti is pure comfort on a plate.
As a child, I used to specially request my grandmother to make this roti for me, because nothing could match the flavor of the piping-hot rotis made by her hands. Later, with so much love, she taught me all her secret techniques and tips. Now, whenever saag is on the menu, I proudly make these crispy rotis for everyone myself!
Introduction to Rice Flour
Rice flour is a versatile, gluten-free flour made from finely milled rice. It is a fundamental staple in cuisines around the world, particularly across Asia, where it is used to make noodles, breads, pastries, batters, and traditional sweets. Because it lacks gluten, it yields a light, crisp texture when used in fried coatings and acts as an excellent, neutral-tasting thickening agent for soups, sauces, and gravies.
There are two primary types of rice flour:
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White Rice Flour: Made from polished white rice (husk, bran, and germ removed). It has a mild flavor, light texture, and long shelf life.
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Brown Rice Flour: Made from whole rice grains including the bran and germ. It offers a slightly nutty flavor, a darker color, and higher nutritional value (fiber and minerals).
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Glutinous / Sweet Rice Flour: Milled from short-grain sticky rice. Despite the name “glutinous,” it is entirely gluten-free; the name refers to its sticky, gelatinous consistency when cooked (commonly used for foods like mochi or dumplings).
How Rice Flour is Made
While commercial rice flour is produced using high-capacity industrial mills, the core process involves cleaning, soaking, drying, grinding, and sifting the grain.
1. Traditional / Home Method (Wet-Milled Style)
This method produces a very fine flour with good moisture retention, ideal for traditional baking and batters.
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Cleaning & Rinsing: Raw rice grains are thoroughly washed in cold water several times until the water runs clear to remove surface dust and impurities.
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Soaking: The washed rice is soaked in fresh water for 2 to 4 hours (or overnight). Soaking softens the grains, making them much easier to grind into a fine powder without generating heat that damages starch structures.
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Draining: The water is completely drained, and the rice is spread out on a clean towel or cloth for about 15–20 minutes. The goal is for the grains to feel damp, not wet, with no visible pooling water.
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Grinding: The damp rice is ground in small batches using a high-speed blender, food processor, or traditional stone grinder until it reaches a fine powder.
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Sifting: The ground flour is passed through a fine-mesh sieve to separate coarse particles. Any remaining large bits are returned to the blender to be ground again.
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Drying & Storing: To prevent mold growth from residual moisture, the fresh flour is lightly dry-roasted in a pan over low heat for a few minutes (without browning) or spread thin on trays to air-dry completely before storing in an airtight container.
2. Commercial / Dry-Milled Method
Industrial rice flour production typically follows a high-efficiency dry process:
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De-husking & Milling: Raw paddy rice goes through de-huskers to remove the outer shell, resulting in brown rice, or further polished to remove bran layers for white rice.
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Conditioning: The moisture content of the rice is carefully controlled to prepare the grains for optimal milling.
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Impact or Roller Grinding: The grains are fed into industrial pin mills, hammer mills, or roller mills that shatter the rice into microscopic particles.
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Air Classification & Sifting: Air currents and precision mechanical sieves grade the flour into specific mesh sizes (from coarse to superfine) depending on its intended commercial application.
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Packaging: The dried flour is packaged in moisture-proof packaging for commercial sale.
Recipe of Rice Flour Roti (Akki Roti / Chawal ki Roti)
Here is the recipe for making seasoned rice flour roti (Akki Roti / Chawal ki Roti) with herbs and spices, based on the dish shown in the image.
Ingredients
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¾ to 1 cup Hot water (as needed)
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1 small Onion, finely chopped
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1–2 Green chilies, finely chopped
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2 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
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½ tsp Cumin seeds (zeera)
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½ tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
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1–2 tbsp Oil or ghee (for kneading and cooking)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Dough Mix In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, finely chopped onion, green chilies, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, and salt. Mix everything together so the aromatics are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
2. Knead with Hot Water Gradually add hot water to the flour mixture, stirring with a spoon at first. Once cool enough to touch, add 1 tsp of oil and knead thoroughly into a soft, non-sticky dough. If the dough feels too stiff, add a splash more hot water.
3. Shape the Roti
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Divide the dough into equal-sized ball portions.
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Place a dough ball onto a greased non-stick pan/tawa or a sheet of parchment paper/butter paper.
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Lightly oil your fingers and gently pat the dough outward in a circular motion to flatten it into a thin, even roti.
4. Cook on the Tawa
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Place the pan on the stove over medium heat (or transfer the flattened roti directly onto a heated, lightly greased tawa).
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Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee around the edges and on top.
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Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the bottom turns firm and lightly crisp with golden spots.
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Flip and cook the other side for another 1 to 2 minutes until fully cooked through.
5. Serve Hot Remove from the tawa and serve immediately while warm and soft. It pairs wonderfully with fresh mint chutney, yogurt, or a dollop of butter.
