Sel Roti (Nepali Rice Doughnut)
Make Nepali sel roti with soaked rice, banana, ghee and cardamom. This sweet rice bread is fried into golden rings and served warm with tea or yoghurt, with clear batter checks and a test ring to guide the frying.
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.
Notes
Batter: Start with minimal added water and increase gradually until the batter pours in a continuous ribbon. Fine rice flour is a corrective ingredient, not a required addition. Add it a teaspoon at a time and wait 5 minutes before reassessing. Fry a test ring and check that the middle is cooked. Substitutions: Use the same tablespoon measure of melted unsalted butter in place of ghee. A dairy free adaptation uses 2 tablespoons neutral oil and 60 ml unsweetened plant milk. Do not substitute cooked rice, or replace the raw rice with an equal weight of rice flour using these liquid quantities. Removing the banana requires a separate liquid adjustment. Gluten: No wheat flour is included. If cooking for someone who needs gluten free food, verify ingredient labels and avoid cross contamination from equipment or frying oil. Storage: Cool in a single layer and refrigerate within 1 hour of cooking. Cover once cooled and eat within 24 hours. Alternatively, cool and freeze promptly within 1 hour; thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours of defrosting. Reheating: Use an oven at 180°C or 160°C fan. Check after 5 minutes and continue until hot throughout. Reheat only once and serve immediately. A microwave will soften the crust. Frying oil: The stated litre is an approximate pan requirement, not the amount absorbed or eaten. The safe depth and pan capacity take precedence over the litre measure.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Calories: 475kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 83mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 41IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg
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