The Roti That Empowered Nagpur's Marginalised Mahar Women
The ranya roti is a roti unique to the Mahar community, and has inadvertently become a tool for the empowerment of women.
Kasubai starts her day at 10 AM. She lights the wood-fired sigree, and places a black clay pot over the fire, upside down. Her wrinkled hands betray decades of experience, as she kneads a gelatinous, slimy dough in a brass paraat, or high-hipped platter. She generously oils the pot, acclimatising it for a long day of making ranya rotis, a paper-thin, porous, wheat flatbread that is indigenous to the Mahar community of Maharashtra. “I never had any formal training. Nobody took me by the hand or explained each step to me. I simply observed my mother-in-law,” she says. For more than five decades, Kasubai’s technique has remained unchanged. The ritual of preparing the sigree, seasoning the pot, and painstakingly kneading the dough, are all too familiar to me. My maternal family belongs to the Mahar community of Nagpur, for whom the ranya roti is a staple; I have fond memories of my aunt making it at our home. The process takes no less than a couple of hours, especially if you’re a beginner.
Many Mahar women, like Kasubai, go through the process of making ranya roti on a daily basis — as part of their day job, as well as at home. Kasubai works at Shibu Ranya Roti, a wholesaler in Nagpur, making ranya rotis along with 11 other women. The Mahars were once part of the Dalit community. According to veteran Dalit activist, Dr Kumud Pawde, the ranya roti carries a lot of history within it; its first mention goes back to the 13th century, in the writings of Sant Dnyaneshwar, the illustrious Marathi poet and philosopher. His work describes his sister, Muktabai, preparing these delicate rotis. “The ranya roti has been part of our kitchens for a long time, and is usually eaten with mutton curry, or mango pulp. The key to making a good ranya roti is in the atta that is used, and making sure that the dough, when spread out, is as thin and translucent as a kite,” writes Pawde.
This unique roti has been a staple within the Mahar food culture for generations, and Shibu Ranya Roti is one the few places in Nagpur that makes and sells it commercially. The process of preparing this roti is laborious, but uses only 3 ingredients. Lokwan wheat flour, a comparatively sweeter variety containing more gluten than regular wheat flour, along with salt and water. The dough is formed by kneading the ingredients together, and allowing it to rest for while. While kneading, the dough is continuously lifted out of the paraat (mixing platter) and slammed back into it, until gelatinous bubbles begin to appear. This slimy mixture is scooped up, one palm-sized portion at a time, slightly flattened on the palm, and then spread out over the entire forearm, which makes it easy to then drape onto the clay pot, like a curtain. The roti is patched up with some extra slatherings of dough, in places where gaps may form, and then cooked for two minutes on each side. It is then taken off the clay pot, neatly folded and stacked, to be sold by the kilo.
The Mahar women making these rotis have taken a crucial step outside their domestic kitchens to work, and earn an independent living, using a traditional skill that has been part of their community for generations. “This job has given me more authority over my life, and I am a lot more independent for it. I feel proud of my job, as I earn by myself and don’t have to depend on anyone to fulfil the needs of my family,” says Rajana Bhele, an employee at Shibu Ranya Roti. This flatbread has gained considerable popularity over the past few years, due to increased media coverage in local newspapers and the rise of social media, with a number of YouTube channels and international publications like Insider.com, showcasing this delicacy on their platforms. The food of the Mahar community has gained visibility, and is now acknowledged and appreciated by outsiders. “I think the food from our community is being recognised a lot more now — we see that with the increase in our daily orders. I feel it is still treated differently, but in a positive way. The ranya roti is a typical Vidarbha dish that is now considered a unique art form, since not everyone can make it,” says Rajni Fuljhele, another employee.
The surge in demand for this local delicacy, due to increased online coverage, as well as the busy lifestyle of locals, has given Mahar women the opportunity to earn for their families, giving agency within their domestic environment. “Since I work outside and earn a living for my family, I have a lot more say in the household, and every decision we make is mutual,” says Triphala lade, a local ranya roti maker. According to the owner of Shibu Ranya Roti, Shibu Dhawankar, most weeks see a sale of 220 to 250 kgs, and festivals and holidays see a spike of 150-200 kgs per sold per day. “We have been making and selling ranya rotis for over 16 years now. We started selling it at ₹60 per kilo, and now we’re at ₹160. The women that make these rotis for us are paid around ₹80 per kilo and make around 15 kgs per day,” he explains.
People from all communities buy this roti, but demand remains high within the Mahar community; increasingly busy lifestyles means less time in the home kitchen. A loyal customer of Shibu Ranya Roti, Dr. Sanjay Damke says, “I have been buying ranya roti from Shibu for at least 15 years now. I buy it because of the quality, as well as the convenience. I know that the women that make these rotis run their homes with this job, and I think it’s commendable how they have taken their domestic skill and turned it into an asset that makes them financially independent.”
Recipe: Ranya Roti
(Recipe by Dr. Umanjali Damke)
Ingredients
10 cups lokwan/hawre wheat flour
¼ cup coarse salt
1 ½ cup water
Method
Begin by mixing all the ingredients and keep the dough aside for an hour, making sure it’s covered with a damp cloth.
After an hour, begin kneading the dough for 20-25 minutes until it becomes soft and slightly slimy. Make sure to keep dipping your hands in water while you knead.
Once the dough is of spreadable consistency, start lifting and slamming the dough with both your hands, into the vessel. Continue dipping your hands in water while you do this.
Continue lifting and slamming the dough until gelatinous bubbles form. Scoop a little portion of the dough and spread it onto your forearm to check the consistency.
Once the desired consistency is achieved, light up the chulah and season the clay pot with oil and salt.
Apply some oil on your forearm, scoop up a palm sized portion of the dough, spread it onto your forearm and then drape it onto the clay pot.
Cook the roti on both sides for around 2-3 minutes or until it starts lifting from the surface.
Fold it into itself and enjoy with meat curries or mango pulp.
Nishita Chandra is a Mumbai-based food writer who likes to explore society, culturesand people through cuisine.
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