Name: Sel roti
Prep time: 6 h
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 6 h 3 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Nepalese
Ingredients: 80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) rice flour, as needed; ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; 185 g (6½ oz) butter or ghee, melted; 220 g (7¾ oz/1 cup) sugar, or to taste; 1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed; 1–1.25 litres (35–44 fl oz/4–5 cups) vegetable oil, for deep-frying; cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling; 600 g (1 lb 5 oz/3 cups) long-grain white rice

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
7 hr

Appears in

Lands of the Curry Leaf

By Peter Kuruvita

Published 2018

About

I love this roti. It is very famous in Nepalese cuisine — a sweet rice bread, distinct from any other breads of the world. Sel roti resembles a large, thin, puffed-up doughnut, with a crispy texture and a reddish brown colour. As well as being a street food, you will also see this bread in religious ceremonies.

The rice takes some time to soak, but you can do this overnight, while you sleep. I have had this bread in the morning, and with the ripe banana it was delicious. Make sure y