Phapar ko Roti

Phapar ko roti is the flatbread of the Nepali hills, where buckwheat grows where rice cannot. The dark, nutty flour is kneaded into a soft dough and cooked on a griddle with ghee until flecked with golden spots. It is a winter staple, served with ghee, yogurt, or achar, and it tastes of the mountains themselves. In the high villages it is the daily bread, and every cook has a favorite way with it.

Nutty flatbreads from the high hills

The bread is soft and pliable with a deep, earthy buckwheat flavor and a slightly sweet, toasted edge. Because buckwheat has no gluten, the dough is more forgiving than wheat — it does not need to be perfect, just patient. Eat it warm, folded around a spoonful of achar, with a cup of tea beside it. It is the rare bread that is both hearty and light at the same time.

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