Vagharelo Rotlo (2 Ways: Dry Lasaniyo and Chaas Style)
Two classic Gujarati versions of vagharelo rotlo: a dry garlicky lasaniyo style and a soft sour chaas-simmered version. Both use leftover bajra flatbread, come together in 15 minutes, and are naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
Version 1: Vagharelo Lasaniyo Rotlo (Dry)
- 2–3 leftover bajra rotlos roughly 250–300g; cut into small bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup green garlic hara lasun; white part only — roughly 10–12 cloves
- 5–6 spicy green chilies
- 1 -inch piece ginger
- 4 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds til
- Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 5–6 curry leaves
- 2 dried red chilies
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ cup water for spice blend
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup green garlic greens chopped
- Salt to taste
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Fresh coriander to garnish
Version 2: Chaas Ma Vagharelo Rotlo (Buttermilk)
- 2–3 leftover bajra rotlos roughly 250–300g; cut into medium pieces
- 10–12 garlic cloves crushed with spice paste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder for paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds for paste
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- Pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- 5–6 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- ½ cup spring onion whites chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ cup tomatoes finely chopped
- ½ cup spring onion greens chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1½ cups sour buttermilk at room temperature
- Fresh coriander and fried green chilies to serve
Instructions
Dry Version (Vagharelo Lasaniyo Rotlo)
- Cut rotlos into small thumbnail-sized pieces. Crush green garlic whites, green chilies, and ginger to a rough paste in a mortar and pestle.
- Heat oil in a kadai over medium-high. Add mustard seeds; let splutter. Add cumin seeds, sesame seeds, hing, curry leaves, and dried red chilies. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the garlic-chili-ginger paste; cook until oil separates, about 2 minutes.
- Mix spice blend (red chili, turmeric, coriander, garam masala) into ¼ cup water. Add to pan; cook until water evaporates and oil separates again, about 1 minute.
- Add chopped tomatoes and garlic greens; cook on high heat until tomatoes are soft and jammy, 2–3 minutes.
- Add rotlo pieces, season with salt, toss on high heat for 1–2 minutes until coated and lightly toasted at the edges.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
Chaas Version (Chaas Ma Vagharelo Rotlo)
- Cut rotlos into medium chunks. Crush garlic cloves, red chili powder, and cumin seeds to a coarse paste in a mortar and pestle.
- Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds; let splutter. Add cumin seeds, sesame seeds, hing, and curry leaves. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Add garlic paste, ginger paste, and green chili; cook, stirring, until oil separates, about 2 minutes.
- Add spring onion whites; cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Lower heat, add dry spices (red chili, turmeric, coriander, garam masala), stir well.
- Add tomatoes and spring onion greens; cook on high heat until tomatoes break down, 3 minutes.
- Add sour buttermilk; stir continuously over medium heat until it comes to a gentle simmer.
- Add rotlo pieces; stir gently to submerge. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes until rotlo softens and absorbs most of the liquid.
- Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve immediately with fried green chilies and onion slices.
Notes
- Room-temperature rotlos cut cleanest. If refrigerated, rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Chaas must be at room temperature before adding to the hot pan. Cold buttermilk can make the gravy look grainy.
- Use sour day-old yogurt-based chaas for the right tang. Add a squeeze of lemon if your chaas is very fresh.
- Do not over-stir the chaas version after adding rotlo. Two or three gentle folds are enough.
- Dry version holds in the fridge for 1 day; reheat in a dry pan. Chaas version is best eaten immediately.
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