Name: Plain Siddu
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: 6–8 Siddus
Cuisine: Himachali
Ingredients: 3 cups (375 g) whole wheat flour (atta); 1½ tsp instant yeast (or 2 tsp active dry yeast); 1 tsp sugar; ¾ tsp salt; 1 tbsp ghee or mustard oil; About 1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm water; A pinch of salt and ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds) to knead into the dough (optional)

Before walnuts and paneer, there was just this: a soft, yeasted wheat bread steamed in the kitchens of Kullu and Mandi, torn open and dunked in ghee. Plain Siddu is still how many pahadi families eat it on a cold morning.

At our cart in Khopu, Bir, the plain Siddu is the one we judge every batch by. If the plain one is right, everything else will be.

Recipe card

Plain Siddu

Prep: 2 hr
Cook: 25 min
Total: 2 hr 25 min
Makes: 6–8 Siddus
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

For the dough

3 cups (375 g) whole wheat flour (atta)
1½ tsp instant yeast (or 2 tsp active dry yeast)
1 tsp sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 tbsp ghee or mustard oil
About 1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm water

For the filling

A pinch of salt and ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds) to knead into the dough (optional)

Method

Wake the yeast
Stir the yeast and sugar into ¼ cup of the lukewarm water and leave for 8–10 minutes until frothy. (Instant yeast can go straight into the flour.)
Knead a soft dough
Mix the flour and salt, add the yeast mixture and the ghee, then add the rest of the water little by little. Knead for 8–10 minutes into a soft, slightly sticky dough — softer than roti dough.
Let it rise
Cover and keep in a warm spot for 1–1½ hours, until the dough has roughly doubled. In Himachali winters, keep it near the chulha or wrapped in a shawl.
Season the dough
For plain Siddu there is no filling — knead the ajwain and a pinch of salt into the risen dough instead, for that classic pahadi flavour.
Shape the Siddu
Punch the dough down and divide into 6–8 balls. Flatten each into a thick 5-inch oval, place 2 tbsp of filling in the centre, fold over into a half-moon and pinch the edges shut. Rest the shaped Siddus for 15 minutes so they puff a little.
Steam
Bring water to a rolling boil in a steamer (or a large pot with a greased plate on a stand). Steam the Siddus covered on medium-high heat for 20–25 minutes, until they look glossy and spring back when pressed.
Serve hot
Tear open while hot, pour over desi ghee and serve with green chutney and a cup of pahadi chai.

Tips from our kitchen

Shape plain Siddus as thick ovals instead of half-moons — just score the top lightly before steaming.
Leftover Siddu can be re-steamed for 5 minutes; never microwave it dry.

Too hungry to cook? This one is on our menu — ₹60 at our cart in Khopu, Bir.

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