Tawa ka Tikla
This is a classic dish made by Marwaris. It’s healthy, wholesome and extremely satisfying. As a kid, I took it for school lunch almost three times a week. It’s made with whole wheat flour, so – healthy!! Ghee – good fats! Ajwain – great digestive. Whats not to like. And it’s yummylicious to boot!
The name Tawa ka Tikla is derived from the fact that it is made on a tawa (girdle) and there is no roasting on direct fire – like the normal roti’s and chapattis. The other Tikla we make is fried in ghee. Lethally tasty – that one too!
When we were growing up, we had no gas stoves at home. We were as organic as it could get. The food was cooked on a mud stove, and charcoal was used to light the fire. Of course, the kitchen got as black as well -soot, but Oh My! the food that we ate had an aroma which no smoke machine can impart. All fresh, earthy and hearty!
The stove was large and there was additional place around to keep the ready food. All the dal, rice and veggies were kept in that area. It would be hot and therefore kept the food also piping hot. No reheating, no microwave. The chapati was made directly on coal – no smell of gas and no artificial flavours. The cook would dust off the soot, liberally dribble homemade ghee and serve it to us. And nowadays, we crave “wood-fired” pizza!!
My grand mom’s man Friday would clean the stove after every meal with water, washing away all remnants of food, leaving the place clean and shiny. We needed no pest control. The hot stove would allow no cockroaches to roost. The burnt coal was converted to ash, and that was used to wash the vessels. We had to recycle before it became a fancy word.
Once every few months the man Friday, would lovingly renew the stove with fresh mud and fill up the cracks and crevices.
The simple grub was nourishing and rich and healthy. I still maintain that I hated the veggies because it was insipid at it’s best. But that was the fault of the cook and not the system. I have still not eaten that kind of dal and chapati ever again.
My sister still makes this dish – Tawa ka Tikla. I had forgotten all about it until one day I got a longing and craving to eat this ghee laden yummy snack. I could eat only one, but back in school it was a staple and I could polish off a whole lot with pickle, in the name of lunch.
It’s very simple to make. It can be cooled and kept in an airtight container for a week plus.
SOME NOTES:
Enough ghee should be put into the dry ingredients so that the flour when closed into a fist stays intact and does not fall down and disintegrate like powder.
Warm water should be used to make the dough. Add it slowly, making the consistency a bit rubbery. Each flour quality reacts its own way, so a little more or less water might have to use, than specified in the recipe.
Please don’t try to go easy on the ghee. It’s a very indispensable ingredient and if you are following the latest health trends, – then – ghee is a vital and important fat and should be consumed in restrained quantities.
The holes are made, so that the Tikla does not puff up, and gets firm and semi-crisp, as you keep pressing and cooking it.
While rolling the dough, if it’s too sticky and is cracking and breaking up, it means that the dough needs more flour and a dribble of water. Add little at a time according to consistency.
Here is the video
It’s an excellent and nutritive dish for kids tiffins, to keep as a quick snack. Top it with hummus, a mix of cucumber tomato kachumber, serve it with hot garlic chutney, with dry potato veggie – Just go for it. Dig in!!
I hope you make it and enjoy it. Cheers!
- 2 Cups Whole Wheat flour (atta)
- 1 Tspn salt
- 1 1/2 Tbspn Ajwain (caraway seeds)
- 1/3 Cup Ghee (for making the dough)
- 1/3 Cup Ghee appx - for cooking the tikla
- 1/2 Cup Plus Filtered water
- Mix all the dry ingredients and give it a good whisk
- Heat the ghee mildly. You should be able to dip your finger into it.
- Add the ghee, and mix it well
- When the dough is held in your fist, it should not disintegrate and should hold for a few seconds.
- Once its mixed well, slowly add the water.
- Do not add it all at once
- Keep adding the water and keep kneading.
- The dough should be such that it's easily rollable, and not break when its being rolled.
- So if it breaks while rolling add a tspn or so of whole wheat flour and a dribble of water.
- This happens because the flour is not consistent in quality. Your flour could be different from mine. It could soak more water or less.
- Once the dough is ready, knead it on the counter.
- Make small balls and keep aside
- Roll each ball, on the counter into a small roti.
- Do not make it very thin. The video gives you an estimation.
- Once all the rotis are rolled, set the girdle on medium heat.
- Keep the ghee ready.
- Keep a ladle ready, which can help you press and flip the tikla.
- Once the girdle is warm, put the roti on it. You can put as many rotis as you like, as long as there is place for them to be flipped and not bang into each other and break.
- Once the girdle down side is semi cooked (see video), flip it.
- Add ghee to the top and to the sides (see video)
- Poke holes with the same spoon. Do so gently. It just needs some air perforation and does not need to go all the way through totally.
- Keep pressing and flipping.
- Do so till both sides are caramel brown.
- At this point it will be soft. It will harden a little more when it cools down.
- Blot on a kitchen towel.
- Keep cleaning your girdle intermittently, before cooking another lot, otherwise the left over oil will smoke and char your tikla.
- Serve hot, with mirchi (green chilly) ka or nimbu (lemon) ka achaar (pickle)