Roat

Roat also known colloquially as Dum ke Roat (दम के रोट) (دم کے روٹ) is a sweet confectionery dish from the Indian city of Hyderabad. It is popular especially in the month of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar) It is made by mixing semolina, refined flour, ghee, dry fruits, saffron and raisins into a dough and baking it in the oven.

Etymology
Dum refers to being cooked with steam.

Roat refers to Roti (flatbread) Traditionally women used to add sugar and extra ghee in the basic recipe of Roti to make it tastier and it was used as an offering in Alam. However, over time as the recipe evolved, it made it being cooked on the stove difficult, that's when it started being baked.

History
Roat has its origins from the Roti (flatbread) (see Etymology) It is said that during the ‘Nala-e-Mubarak’ Alam (an annual procession during Muharram in the Old City); the erstwhile Nizam of the Hyderabad; Mir Osman Ali Khan offered Roat for the safety and well-being of his grandson and heir apparent: Mukarram Jah. The practice has continued since. Roat is traditionally served after a majlis (gathering) in an Ashurakhana is completed.

Today they are made at homes or can be purchased from bakeries like Pista House, Karachi Bakery and Subhan Bakery.

Ingredients

 * All-purpose flour (maida)
 * Semolina
 * Ghee
 * Khoa
 * Warm milk
 * Baking powder
 * Cardamom
 * Raisins
 * Almonds
 * Saffron
 * Granulated sugar

Preparation
Roat is prepared by blending milk, khoa, and saffron to make a fine paste. Then, the other ingredients and the paste are kneaded into a dough. After resting the dough for a few hours, it is flattened into a cookie-like shape. A few sliced dried fruits like almonds which were soaked overnight, peeled, and sliced are garnished over the dough and then it is baked on dum (cooked with steam) until golden brown. Roat is crunchy on the outside while chewy in the inside.