Description
A sacred traditional sweet absolutely essential for Nepal's largest Hindu festivals 'Dashain' and 'Tihar' (Festival of Lights). Dough mixed from rice (or rice flour), sugar, ghee, and spices is squeezed into a 'large ring shape' in a sea of oil and fried. Crispy/aromatic outside, chewy inside like 'Pon de Ring', featuring a rustic gentle sweetness.
Restaurants serving Sel Roti
Researching
We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Rice(or Coarse rice flour)
- Sugar
- Ghee(or Butter)
- Banana(or Milk)
- Cardamom powder
- Clove powder
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Dough]: Soak raw rice overnight to soften, drain, grind in a mixer to a 'slightly coarse flour (grainy)'.
- [Season]: Add sugar, ghee, mashed banana (or milk), cardamom powder to the rice flour, mix into a syrupy paste (resting overnight ferments it, boosting flavor).
- [Fry]: Grip dough by hand, squeeze quickly through thumb/index finger into hot oil drawing a 'large circle (ring)', and fry until golden brown.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Cardamom、Cloves
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Mix 'Shiratamako' and 'Joshinko' with sugar, pipe into donut shapes with a pastry bag and fry
Pairing
Aloo ko Achar (Spiced Potato Salad) / Chiya(Milk Tea)
Trivia
As festival seasons approach, Nepali mothers stand before oil all day, frying hundreds of Sel Rotis. The finished ones are distributed to relatives and neighbors, an auspicious item acting like JP 'Mochi'.
Eating tips & etiquette
A sweet pastry, but the most connoisseur way to enjoy it in Nepal is eating it alternately with salty, spicy sides like 'Aloo ko Achar' (sour-spicy potato salad) or 'Meat Curry'.
Allergen
Dairy (if using ghee/milk)