akki roti served in a black plate

Akki Roti (Rice Flour Roti)

By Swasthi on August 31, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Akki Roti is a flatbread made with rice flour, spices, herbs and vegetables. These are a popular Breakfast from Karnataka Cuisine. “Akki” is a Kannada word meaning “rice” and “roti” are “flatbreads”. So Akki roti translates to rice roti. These are not only gluten-free but also delicious & easy to make. Akki rotti are usually eaten with coconut chutney, but any other chutney, Sagu or mixed vegetable curry goes well.

akki roti in a black plate served with chutney

There are basically 2 kinds of akki roti. The first one is made the simplest way by mixing the rice flour with other ingredients to form a dough. Portions of this dough is then spread with fingers to a flatbread.

The second one is known as ubbu roti, ukkarisida rotti. It is made with a dough where the rice flour is steam cooked in hot boiling water for a brief period. This is much the same way we make the dough for modak.

Later small portions of the dough is rolled like a regular roti and then cooked on a griddle. Making akki rotti following the first method is super easy and just takes about 25 minutes for 2 servings.

About Akki Roti Recipe

My recipe to make akki roti is simple and just uses the basic ingredients like rice flour, cumin seeds, curry leaves, ginger, salt, onions, carrots, fresh coconut and green chilies.

For more traditional version various ingredients like dill leaves (sabsige soppu), soaked chana dal & coriander leaves can also be added.

Veggies like grated carrot, cucumber, bottle gourd, and zucchini can also be added.

In this post I show how to make akki roti following the same along with tips and tricks to make them soft.

Traditionally akki rotti dough is spread on a banana leaf, griddle or on a white cotton cloth. Later it is transferred to the griddle and cooked. Back home in India, we would use the banana leaf from our backyard but here in Singapore I make them on a parchment paper and sometimes directly on the tawa.

In this post I share 2 ways to spread them – 1. Directly on the tawa and 2. On the parchment paper or banana leaf or cloth.

If you are a small family of 2 then you can easily make them on the griddle but this trick won’t work if you are making more than 2 servings as it takes longer. So use parchment paper in that case.

Akki roti can be made thin or slightly thick to suit your taste. Getting them thin and uniform comes with some practice.

akki roti served with red chutney for breakfast

More recipes from karanataka cuisine
Ragi roti
Bisi bele bath
Vangi bath
Ragi mudde
Set dosa
Chakli
Potato sagu

Preparation

1. To a mixing bowl, add the following ingredients:

  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons fresh coconut
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 green chili fine chopped
  • 1 sprig fresh curry leaves fine chopped
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves or dill leaves (optional)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons very finely chopped onions.
  • ¼ cup grated carrot (or cucumber, bottle gourd)
  • ½ teaspoon grated ginger (you may skip if you don’t like)
adding flour veggies to a bowl

2. Mix up all the ingredients well.

making dough for akki roti recipe

3. Pour water little by little to bind the flour. Avoid pouring lot of water at one time. Keep adding more water as you need. The amount of water to add depends on the moisture levels in your vegetables, onions and coconut. So add water with caution.

kneading dough to a ball to make akki roti

4. Make a moist dough. The color of the dough changed due to the carrots. The akki roti dough has to be sticky & moist as it helps to spread the dough easily.

moist dough ball

5. Divide the dough to 4 equal balls.

dividing dough to 4 parts to make akki roti

Method – 1

Spreading dough on a cloth or parchment paper

If making in large quantity, then you can rinse 2 white cotton cloths or use banana leaf to spread the akki roti. Squeeze up the cloth, it must be just moist with no dripping water. Spread the cloth and place a ball over it. If using parchment paper grease it first. Gently spread the dough with your fingers. I don’t pat the dough instead spread it with my fingers.

If the dough doesn’t spread well, then keep dipping your fingers in water and continue to spread. Akki roti should not be too thick or too thin. Check pictures below.

Heat a pan. Gently lift the roti with the parchment paper or banana leaf and place the roti on the tawa (roti side onto the tawa & the parchment paper on top). Gently dab on the the pan. Slowly remove/lift up the paper/banana leaf. Cook it on both the sides as shown below.

Method -2

Since I made just 4 rotis, I used 2 pans and made the akki roti directly on the cool tawa. Note the tawa has to be cool before you spread the roti otherwise the dough will get stuck on the pan.

How to Make Akki Roti on Tawa

6. Grease a cool pan & place it on the kitchen counter. Do not heat the pan now. Place a dough ball on the tawa, begin to flatten it evenly by spreading the dough from the center all over.

spreading rice dough on a pan to make akki roti

7. If there is enough moisture in the dough, it spreads easily and evenly. Keep a bowl half filled with water aside. If needed dip your fingers in the water and spread the dough. This also helps to keep the rotti soft. If making thick roti, make few wholes on the rotti every 2 inches apart for even cooking.

Once you are done making the akki roti, keep the tawa on the stove and cook it.

cooking on a non stick tawa

8. When you see the rotti is cooked on one side to light golden, turn it and cook on the other side as well until light brown spots appear. Add oil on the inner side and cook once more. Press with a spatula for uniform cooking.

flipping and toasting akki roti on a tawa

9. To make the next roti, either we have to cool this pan completely and then use. Or make use of 2 pans, use alternately until the other one cools. I use 2 pans for this purpose.

Serve akki rotti with chutney. These are good to serve hot. As they cool down they may turn hard & dry depending on the kind of flour used. If you plan to make these akki roti a few hours ahead then stack them and keep them covered in a clean cloth.

Serve suggestions
coconut chutney
pudina chutney
peanut onion chutney

akki roti recipe

Pro Tips

  1. Always use fine smooth rice flour to make the rotti. If your flour is not fine then the akki roti will turn tough & hard. So if you feel the flour is not fine & smooth, then you can also sieve it.
  2. It is the quality of flour that makes a lot of difference. Making use of good rice flour will prevent the akki roti from breaking. It also helps to make very thin rotti like mine.
  3. The dough must be moist and sticky. This helps the akki roti to spread well while making. Dip your hands in water to moisten the dough to get soft rotis.
  4. If using banana leaf make sure your rinse it well to remove the dirt and use.

I use store bought rice flour to make akki roti. But traditional homes, wash the rice, then dry them in sun. Lastly mill the grains in flour mill. The taste of the akki roti made with such flour is much superior to the store bought one. The rotis turn out soft and not tough.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

Akki Roti

Akki Roti are gluten-free flatbreads made with rice flour, vegetables, coconut, spices and herbs. These are a popular breakfast from Karnataka. Serve them with chutney.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Servings4 akki roti
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 1 cup rice flour (akki hittu)
  • 1 small onion chopped very finely
  • 3 tablespoons coconut fresh grated (optional)
  • ½ carrot grated (can substitute with bottle gourd, optional)
  • 2 green chilli deseeded
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves or 1 sprig curry leaves chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cumin or jeera
  • 1/3 teaspoon Salt as needed
  • ½ teaspoon ginger grated
  • water as needed
  • 1 tablespoon oil (or as needed)

optional

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons sabsige soppu (dil leaves)
  • 1 tablespoon chana dal soaked


Instructions

Preparation

  • Wash and chop very finely 1 small onions, 2 green chilies and handful of coriander leaves. Grate ½ carrot & ½ teaspoon ginger. If using sabsige, rinse well and chop finely.
  • Add 1 cup flour to a large mixing bowl along with 1/3 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cumin, chopped onions, chilies, coriander leaves and carrots. Mix everything well. You can also add about 2 to 3 tablespoons grated coconut & 2 to 3 tablespoons dill leaves.
  • Pour water little by little and make a soft dough. The dough must be smooth and moist. Divide the dough to 4 equal balls. Roll to smooth. Keep the bowl covered to prevent drying up.
  • You can make akki roti on a greased banana leaf, moist handkerchief, foil or parchment paper. 

How to make akki roti – method 1

  • Place a ball on the moist cloth or foil or greased banana leaf. 
  • Begin to spread it lightly with your fingers to make a round roti. If the edges of akki roti crack, then dip your fingers in water and join the cracks. Then continue to spread it.  
  • It can be made thick or thin to suit your taste. If making thick, make 3 finger sized wholes with one and half inches apart.

Toasting akki roti

  • Heat the greased tawa on a medium high flame.  Lift the banana leaf or parchment paper and reverse it on the hot tawa, the roti facing the tawa. Gently peel off the leaf. 
  • When the base firms up & golden, flip it. Toast it on both the sides. After flipping it sprinkle some oil. Press down with a spatula to cook evenly.
  • Remove akki roti when you see brown spots. Do not over cook it may turn hard. While you toast the akki roti, make another one on the leaf or cloth. Transfer to the tawa after the first one is done.

How to make akki roti – method 2

  • If you are making directly on the tawa then you will need 2 tawas to use them alternately. Or cool the tawa completely and then spread the next roti. 
  • Lightly grease a cool tawa & keep it on a kitchen counter. Place the ball on the tawa and spread it directly to a thin akki roti.  Place the tawa now on the stove and cook until the base firms. Then flip & cook on the other side until done. Press down with a spatula to cook evenly.
  • To make the next akki roti either use another cool tawa or wait until the first one cools completely. If you try to spread the dough on the hot tawa it will get stuck and not spread at all. Serve akki roti with chutney.


Notes

The rice flour has to be very fine and not coarse. Using coarse flour will break the akki roti and they will also turn hard.
Dil leaves or sabsige soppu have a very strong aroma. So use in moderation as the flavor may not go well with everyone.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Akki Roti
Amount Per Serving
Calories 218 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 273mg12%
Potassium 143mg4%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 80IU2%
Vitamin C 9.7mg12%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Akki roti recipe first published in September 2015. Updated and republished in July 2021.

Akki Roti (Rice Flour Roti)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Superb recipes and clear instructions. Pls always give linked video.

5 stars
Superb recipes and explained clearly. Pls always give videos also

5 stars
nice recipe
i am from singapore . I had this roti in Bangalore in our aunty house.

5 stars
Very nice to read. I will try and send comments. Given procedure step by step. Super to follow.
Thanks
Malarvizhi

5 stars
Your all recipes are awesome
Can you please post diabetic recipe

5 stars
I tried Akki roti for the first time today and liked it so much. It is yummy, healthy, and is a perfect breakfast. Loved the aroma too!. Thank you for sharing the recipe, and I also appreciated the step by step, easy to follow instruction too. I am so looking forward to trying your other recipes soon. Indian cuisine is amazing!

5 stars
I love all of your recipes & I thank you for all of your hard work. I will use white quinoa and buckwheat groats for your recipe. Thanks, take care…

What’s that orange chutney with the akki roti?

I first tried this recipe long ago, and always loved the flavours very much but found it very tricky to form the rotis nicely. I am not very good at that kind of thing. Finally after much practice following your tips I was able to make them, but my family did not care much for them, so for some time I did not make them. Then, after trying a recipe for rava dosa that involved grinding coconut and rava together, I had the idea of grinding the wet ingredients for akki roti, because I think my fussy family prefers things with smooth texture. I grind coconut, carrot, onion, ginger, green chilli, coriander leaves and cumin to a chutney consistency, mix with rice flour and salt, and I form small rotis by patting the dough between my hands. I always serve them with groundnut-tomato-onion chutney. This way everyone loves it. Not really akki roti I guess but it’s our family version 🙂

5 stars
Enjoy 🙂 oh and here are the 5 stars for your recipe!

As always both the recipe and instructions were great. I made it with read rice flour. And it came out well. Of medium thickness and poori size. Because it was red rice flour, I added some ground flax seeds to the dough while mixing to give it the pliability. Otherwise followed your instructions.

I would love to try your recipe but I can not seem to be able to print it or copy and paste it so that I can then print it out and take it to my kitchen and follow your recipe to make this 🙁

5 stars
I made them exactly as described in the recipe and they were delicious and a big hit with the family. I will definitely make them again and perhaps next time I will try substituting curry plant leaves for coriander leaves.

Your recipes are excellent

5 stars
Thanks, in Kerala with rice flour they something named pattri roti.

5 stars
nice recipe..

Only one question..

240 calories in one akki roti ?.. right!

Hi Swati. Could you please tell if the rice powder should be coarse or nicely powdered? Would definitely try this.

5 stars
I followed your recipe to dot.. They were very yummy.. We loved them.. All your suggestions are very helpful..Especially the one where you mention that we need to wait for the pan to cool completely if using a non stick..

Very nice to see recipe thanks for sharing I’d like to try all the recipe,

5 stars
I made the akki roti with your tomato chutney. we all loved very much.

5 stars
Today I followed your recipe and prepared Akki roti. It was very tasty and everyone enjoyed it. Thanks a lot.

5 stars
Hi Swasthi
I made akki roti with your coconut chutney. thank you so much.