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Sel roti is a sweet Nepali rice bread fried into a ring, with a crisp surface and a tender middle. This sel roti recipe uses soaked rice, banana, ghee and cardamom. It serves four and makes approximately 12 rings, enough for breakfast or a snack with a cup of tea.
You will need to soak the rice in advance, but the cooking itself is straightforward once the batter pours smoothly. Start with one test ring before frying the rest. That first ring tells you whether to adjust the batter, change the pouring speed or reduce the heat.
Want to dive deeper into Nepalese Cuisine? Don’t miss our post on 15 Traditional Nepalese Foods to Try
What Is Sel Roti?
Sel roti is made by pouring sweetened rice batter into hot oil in a continuous circle. It is often described in English as a Nepali rice doughnut, although the mixture is a batter rather than a kneaded dough. The centre stays open, and the finished ring has a lightly crisp crust.
Recipes differ between households. Some use rice, sugar, water and ghee alone, while others include banana, milk or spices. This version keeps the banana and milk used in our original recipe. They are additions to this particular batter, rather than ingredients required in every sel roti.
Ingredients and Taste
Rice supplies the body of the batter and its distinctive texture. Use uncooked white rice that has been soaked and drained. Ordinary white rice is a sensible starting point; avoid substituting glutinous rice or easy cook parboiled rice, which would change the behaviour of this recipe.
Sugar sweetens the rings and helps them colour during frying. Ghee adds richness, cardamom brings a floral aroma, and ripe banana gives a gentle fruit flavour. Milk provides some of the blending liquid. Extra water is added gradually because soaked rice and bananas vary in moisture.
The finished sel roti should have a golden surface that gives a little resistance when you bite into it. Inside, it should be tender and fully cooked. A dark crust with a wet middle suggests that the ring is too thick or the oil too hot, rather than a need for more sugar.
A Taste of History
Sel roti is closely associated with Nepali celebrations, including Dashain and Tihar. During Tihar, preparing and sharing food forms part of family gatherings. Sel roti appears among the breads and sweets offered at these occasions, and is also enjoyed with tea outside festival meals.
Making the rings takes practice, particularly when pouring by hand. A small jug gives a home cook more control over the shape and keeps fingers away from the oil. The circle need not be perfectly round to taste good; focus first on an even thickness and a properly cooked centre.
Do You Use Raw or Cooked Rice for Sel Roti?
Use raw rice, soaked in water and then drained. Do not boil it before blending. Cooked rice has already absorbed water and changed texture, so it will not behave like the soaked raw grains used here. Measure the 300 g before soaking, rather than weighing the drained rice.
What Should Sel Roti Batter Look Like?
The batter should pour from a jug in a steady ribbon that you can guide into a circle. It should not need squeezing through a tiny nozzle. If it drops in lumps, add a teaspoon of water and stir. If it runs away like milk, add a little fine rice flour and allow it time to absorb.
A 30 minute rest gives you a chance to stir and reassess the mixture before frying. This recipe does not rely on yeast or a controlled fermentation process. Leaving the milk and banana batter out for several hours is unnecessary for the method given here.
Why Does Sel Roti Spread or Break in the Oil?
A watery batter can spread before it sets, while a broken stream can leave gaps in the ring. Check the consistency and practise one continuous pour. Allow the first side to firm up before turning, and use a wide slotted spoon or tongs gently so you do not tear the ring.
Oil temperature also matters. If the batter sits in the oil without promptly bubbling, check that the oil has reached the stated range. If the surface browns almost immediately, reduce the heat. Change one thing at a time and fry another test ring before committing the remaining batter.
How to Make Sel Roti
Soak the rice ahead, blend the batter and fry the rings individually so you can control their shape and colour. A thermometer and a small pouring jug make the process easier. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the batter
- 300 g uncooked white rice, not glutinous rice or easy cook parboiled rice
- Water for rinsing and soaking
- 100 g caster sugar
- 100 g peeled ripe banana, roughly 1 medium banana
- 60 ml whole milk
- 2 tablespoons ghee, melted and cooled until lukewarm
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 30 to 90 ml water, as needed for blending and consistency
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fine rice flour, only if needed to thicken the batter
For frying
- Approximately 1 litre sunflower or rapeseed oil, adjusted to give a 3 cm depth without filling the pan more than one third full
Optional accompaniments
- Plain yoghurt, Nepali potato pickle or milk tea, to serve
Equipment
- Digital scales and measuring spoons
- Bowl and fine sieve
- Strong blender suitable for wet grinding
- Mixing bowl and whisk
- Small jug with a defined pouring spout, or a piping bag with an opening about 1 cm wide
- Heavy deep pan, approximately 24 cm wide
- Frying thermometer
- Long handled tongs or slotted spoon
- Tray lined with kitchen paper and a cooling rack
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Soak the Rice
Rinse the rice, cover generously with cold water and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain thoroughly in a sieve. The rice should be soaked but still uncooked when it goes into the blender.
Step 2: Blend the Batter
Put the drained rice, banana, milk, sugar and ghee in a strong blender. Blend in short bursts, scraping down with the machine switched off. Add the measured water 1 tablespoon at a time, using only enough to keep the mixture moving. Work in two batches if necessary. Aim for a thick, flowing batter without hard pieces of rice.
Step 3: Season and Rest
Transfer to a bowl, add the cardamom and salt, and whisk for 2 minutes. Cover and rest for 30 minutes in a cool kitchen. Stir again. The batter should leave the jug in a continuous ribbon rather than fall in lumps or run like milk. If too thick, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If too thin, whisk in rice flour 1 teaspoon at a time and wait 5 minutes before checking again.
Step 4: Heat the Oil
Put the oil in the deep pan to a depth of about 3 cm, keeping the pan no more than one third full. Heat to 175 to 180°C. Set out dry utensils, the draining tray and the rack before you begin. Keep the remaining batter away from the hot pan.
Step 5: Make a Test Ring
Measure about 50 ml batter into the jug or piping bag. Pour a steady circle about 10 to 12 cm across, holding the spout close to the oil without touching it. Join the ends and leave space in the centre. Fry one ring at a time. Let it set before trying to move it.
Step 6: Fry and Check
Fry for approximately 1 minute on the first side, then carefully turn and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until evenly golden. Drain and let the test ring cool enough to handle, then break it open. The centre should be cooked and tender, with no wet batter. If it colours before the centre cooks, make the next ring thinner and keep the oil near 175°C.
Step 7: Finish the Batch
Adjust the batter if the test ring spreads or breaks, then fry the remainder in the same way. Stir between pours and let the oil return to 175 to 180°C before adding each ring. Drain briefly on kitchen paper, then transfer to the rack so the underside does not sit in oil.
Step 8: Serve
Allow the rings to cool briefly and serve warm with milk tea, plain yoghurt or potato pickle. The batch should give approximately 12 rings, depending on how much batter you pour, providing about 3 per person. Cool any leftovers promptly for storage.
Variations and Substitutions
Unsalted butter can replace the ghee in the same tablespoon measure. Melt it and let it cool until lukewarm before blending. Butter gives a different flavour, but the method remains the same. For a dairy free adaptation, use 2 tablespoons neutral oil and 60 ml unsweetened plant milk.
Banana is optional in some other sel roti recipes, but it contributes moisture to this one. Removing it would require a fresh liquid adjustment, so avoid swapping it for yoghurt by a fixed spoonful measure. If you want a banana free version, follow a recipe developed around that mixture.
Rice flour versions also exist, including methods using both fine and coarse flour. They are useful alternatives when you cannot grind soaked rice. Do not replace the 300 g uncooked rice with 300 g flour and assume the liquid quantity will remain correct; hydration and resting needs differ.
The batter here contains no wheat flour. If you need it to be gluten free, check all ingredient labels and use clean equipment and oil that have not been used for foods containing gluten. Keep cardamom as the main seasoning, or omit it if unavailable rather than introducing an unrelated spice blend.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Sel Roti
- Weigh the banana after peeling so a large fruit does not unexpectedly thin the batter.
- Grind thoroughly. Hard rice fragments indicate that the mixture needs more blending.
- Use a jug or a wide piping opening. A narrow nozzle can interrupt the stream.
- Practise the circular movement over an empty bowl before approaching the oil.
- Fry one ring at a time until you are confident with the technique.
- Check the middle of the first ring as well as its colour.
- Keep the oil between 175 and 180°C and allow it to recover between rings.
- Keep water and wet utensils away from the frying pan.
What to Serve with Sel Roti
Serve warm sel roti with milk tea for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Plain yoghurt offers a cool contrast to the fried crust, while Nepali aloo ko achar brings a savoury potato accompaniment to the sweet rings.
For a more substantial meal, try the rings alongside Nepali aloo tama. Its potato and bamboo shoot curry offers a different texture and flavour. Put the accompaniments in separate bowls so the sel roti stays crisp until you are ready to eat.
How to Store and Reheat
Cooling and Refrigerating
Sel roti is best freshly fried. For leftovers, spread the rings in a single layer on a rack and cool promptly. As a cautious approach for this moist rice based recipe, refrigerate within 1 hour of cooking, in a covered container once cooled, and eat within 24 hours.
Freezing
If you need to keep the rings longer, cool and freeze them promptly, aiming to get them into the freezer within 1 hour of cooking. Separate portions with baking paper so you can take out only what you need. Thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours of defrosting.
Reheating
Place refrigerated or fully thawed rings on a tray in an oven at 180°C, or 160°C fan. Begin checking after 5 minutes and continue until hot throughout, including the centre. The time depends on thickness and quantity. Reheat only once and serve immediately.
A microwave can heat the rings, but will soften the crust. Whichever method you use, check the middle rather than judging by a warm surface alone. Reheating does not make food safe after poor storage, so discard leftovers that have been left out too long.
Sel Roti (Nepali Rice Doughnut)
Ingredients
For the batter
- 300 g uncooked white rice not glutinous rice or easy cook parboiled rice
- Water for rinsing and soaking
- 100 g caster sugar
- 100 g peeled ripe banana roughly 1 medium banana
- 60 ml whole milk
- 2 tablespoons ghee melted and cooled until lukewarm
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 30 to 90 ml water as needed for blending and consistency
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fine rice flour only if needed to thicken the batter
For frying
- Approximately 1 litre sunflower or rapeseed oil adjusted to give a 3 cm depth without filling the pan more than one third full
Optional accompaniments
- Plain yoghurt Nepali potato pickle or milk tea, to serve
Instructions
- Rinse the rice, cover generously with cold water and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain thoroughly in a sieve. The rice should be soaked but still uncooked when it goes into the blender.
- Put the drained rice, banana, milk, sugar and ghee in a strong blender. Blend in short bursts, scraping down with the machine switched off. Add the measured water 1 tablespoon at a time, using only enough to keep the mixture moving. Work in two batches if necessary. Aim for a thick, flowing batter without hard pieces of rice.
- Transfer to a bowl, add the cardamom and salt, and whisk for 2 minutes. Cover and rest for 30 minutes in a cool kitchen. Stir again. The batter should leave the jug in a continuous ribbon rather than fall in lumps or run like milk. If too thick, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If too thin, whisk in rice flour 1 teaspoon at a time and wait 5 minutes before checking again.
- Put the oil in the deep pan to a depth of about 3 cm, keeping the pan no more than one third full. Heat to 175 to 180°C. Set out dry utensils, the draining tray and the rack before you begin. Keep the remaining batter away from the hot pan.
- Measure about 50 ml batter into the jug or piping bag. Pour a steady circle about 10 to 12 cm across, holding the spout close to the oil without touching it. Join the ends and leave space in the centre. Fry one ring at a time. Let it set before trying to move it.
- Fry for approximately 1 minute on the first side, then carefully turn and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until evenly golden. Drain and let the test ring cool enough to handle, then break it open. The centre should be cooked and tender, with no wet batter. If it colours before the centre cooks, make the next ring thinner and keep the oil near 175°C.
- Adjust the batter if the test ring spreads or breaks, then fry the remainder in the same way. Stir between pours and let the oil return to 175 to 180°C before adding each ring. Drain briefly on kitchen paper, then transfer to the rack so the underside does not sit in oil.
- Allow the rings to cool briefly and serve warm with milk tea, plain yoghurt or potato pickle. The batch should give approximately 12 rings, depending on how much batter you pour, providing about 3 per person. Cool any leftovers promptly for storage.
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