GLUTEN FREE AFGHAN SWEET BREAD - RHOT E JOWAREE

 

 
Me in the Kabul bakery

 

By Humaira

During my two week visit to Afghanistan in 2011 I found myself obsessed with the bakeries of Kabul.  As my bullet-proof US Embassy car zoomed through the streets, I'd find myself drooling at the sight of the beautifully arranged pastries in the bakery shops.

Due to threat of riots and security issues I mostly travelled in convoys or stayed in my hotel. I didn’t get to do any shopping or wander the markets as I had hoped.  But, in my last hours in Kabul, I asked my cousin to take me to a bakery and the street with butchers.  I had a chance to pop into a nice bakery, take some photos, chit chat with the owner and admire the beautifully displayed items.

 
Afghan cream rolls

 

I think it is worth noting that Afghans don’t usually eat dessert, unless it is a special occasion and in that case it is not usually baked items.  Pastries are served as a snack with tea in the mid afternoon, at celebrations such as Eid or to a special guest.  Flour, sugar and oil are expensive.  Afghanistan being the second poorest country in the world, doesn’t allow for such  luxuries to the majority of its population.

 
Various types of candies stacked in the corner of the bakery, I likes the color coordination

 

Roht is an Afghan sweet bread which is traditionally made with wheat flour.  Here you'll find my post featuring a classic roht recipe.  However, since many folks in my family are going gluten free, my sister Nabila came up with this recipe for roht which uses corn flour instead of wheat flour.  I have to say, I find the corn roht much tastier than the traditional flour roht.  I do encourage you to use finely ground corn meal; otherwise your roht will turn out coarse and crunchy. 

 

 
Nabila's corn roht

 

 

Roht e Jowaree 

Gluten Free Afghan Sweet Bread

 

1 cup corn meal

1 cup finely ground corn flour

1/4 cup butter at room temperature

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Fit your food processor with the dough blade.  Put all dry ingredients in the food processor, pulse a few times until all ingredients are mixed well. 

Add butter and pulse several times until mixed well.  Scrape the sides of the food processor, add the eggs, and mix until the dough is formed.  If your dough is dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to add some more moisture.   You may not need the milk at all.  You might have to stop periodically to scrape the dough off the sides. After a few minutes, the dough will come together in one smooth lump and move around the food processor.  

Remove the dough from the food processor and pat it into a smooth ball.   Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Divide the dough into two balls and work gently into a circular flat shape, about ½- inch thick.  Poke little holes in a circular pattern on top of the dough with a fork, about 20 pokes per loaf.  Sprinkle the loaves with nigella seeds.  You can also divide the dough into 12 small balls and make approximately 4 inch round mini rohts.

Bake in the middle rack for 25-30 minutes until the corn roht  is golden brown.  Let it cool to room temperature before serving. 

Cut into 6 wedges. Enjoy with a cup of tea. 

Store roht  in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.  I find it tastes even better the next day.

*Nigella seeds are commonly used in Indian or Middle Eastern dishes.  They are tiny black roasted seeds that taste likbitterness with a bitterness like mustard-seeds. They are sold at Middle Eastern or Indian markets.  Check out the list of markets that we have compiled for you.  If you can’t find them, use sesame seeds instead. 

 

Except where otherwise noted, all content on this blog is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license. 

 

Comments

[Humaira]

Hi Susan - I am so glad you wrote. It seems that my blog is serving quite a few purposes, one of which is connect people to their past. I hope you will continue to cook and write to me. - Humaira

[Humaira]

Hi Kate - I am so glad you commented since it seems you have such a deep interest in Afghan food and culture with your impending marriage to an Afghan. Qorma e lobia is also one of my favorite but since it is such a simple dish I have not gotten around to putting it on the blog. Give me a few weeks, i will get it on the blog. Af for Khajoor, I have never made it. When I was in high school, I worked in a donut shop for a summer. On my first day, I was horrified discover that donuts are fried in oil. I suffered from the stale smell of oil for three months of summer and vowed never to fry anything. Over the years I have overcome my phobia of frying but I have never mustered up the courage to make khajoor. My cousin's wife makes delicious khajoor, next time I am in Kabul I will ask her to show me how to make it. Happy cooking and please continue with you comments. - Humaira

[Kate]

Hello! Thank you so much for this blog. I have been following for a while now but this is my first comment. My fiancé is Afghan, I am not so it is wonderful to get some recipes that I can cook for him. Yours are by far the best I have found (I love your dal, qorma y sabzi, and your pizza was a great idea! Your Do Piazza is one of my favorites and I am trying your chicken kabob tonight). My fiancé has told me of a lubia dish with kidney beans in a tomato sauce but I haven't been able to find the recipe anywhere. Do you happen to know the dish? Also there is a donut type dish that he calls khadjoor that I have had little luck finding. If you have a recipe for either (or can point me to one online) I would be very grateful. Thanks again for all the wonderful food. People like me really appreciate it!!! :-)

[Susan Revels]

Hi Humira. I am an old friend of your brother's.... Farid. and Waheed. From Buffalo State college in the 1970s. The last time I saw your brothers was perhaps 35 years ago. About a month ago I found your postings about your trip to the monastery in New Mexico...where you wrote that Farid had died. I was soo so sad to find that. It has hit me hard. I have come to your blog several times. I found foods that I remember from those times in Buffalo. Last week I even cooked qorma e sabzi….using swiss chard and kale instead of spinach. This is the first time I’ve ever used fenugreek in cooking and when I tasted it…..ahhhhhh…….this is the flavor I remember. I never knew this flavor was from fenugreek. It was delicious.

Reading your recipe about roht…..made me VERY nostalgic. I remember having this sweet at Nasser and Rosia’s house in Dunkirk. I think I am spelling their names right. Roht. It makes me sad all over again. Coming to this blog is sweet.

I emailed you via your Afghan Friends Network. I connected to it thru your cooking blog. I emailed my contact information to you. I don’t know if you received my email or how often you are able to check that email. Could you please give my contact information to Waheed? I would love to talk with him again. Thank you……..Susan.

[Humaira]

Dear Diego,
Wow, that is so exciting that you are studying Afghan bread. I hope it turned out well. Let me know what your classmates thought of it - Humaira

[Diego]

Hi Humaira, I would like to thank you for posting all of this recipes, I live in Colombia (South America) and I'm studying to be a Cook, this week our teacher ask to my group to search for three bread recipes from Afghanistan and your post save my day, hopefully we will be baking Afghan breads the next saturday and filling our kitchen with Middle East flavors.

[Kim]

Thanks Humaira! I have so enjoyed following your blog...your beautiful words, pictures and gift of a glimpse into the Afghan culture. And today I was so excited to see a gluten free recipe for my son! I hope to try it this week, God willing.

[roshana Tookhi]

Hi Humaria,

Thank you for sharing your recipes with us. I love all the recipes and your pictures.

Thanks again,
Rashana

[Humaira]

Dear Mariette,
Thank you very much for your lovely comment. It warms my hear to reach people around the world and to receive such encouraging comments. I am so glad you like the corn roht.

Humaira

[Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder]

Dearest Humaira,

Thanks for sharing this recipe. We worked for more than ten years in India and this comes close to their food, like the use of cardamon seeds. Both of us LOVE it.
Specially since this one is gluten free, I appreciate it!

Lots of love,

Mariette

[Humaira]

Salam Subi Jan,
We don't make any of the food to sell. We just write about it.

Regards,
Humaira

[Humaira]

Khatera Jan,
I also have a roht recipe with flour. Look in our bread section.

Humaira

[sarah]

salam u alikkum .
i want to know the cream roll recipe if u know please put it for us and thanks so much for delicious recipes that is really helpfull for me .

[Khatera]

Hi I wanted to ask u that can I use all purpose flour instead of corn flour coz I have corn flour which is White n is used as thickening agent
Thx

[subi]

Hi there, could u send me some Kabul i kolcha, i love it,and how much is one kilo of kolcha? Subi from Australia.