Thin pancakes made from buckwheat flour and jaggery cooked on a flat griddle — a festival sweet of Himachal Pradesh made during Diwali and local mountain festivals when buckwheat is freshly harvested in autumn.
Ingredients
1.5 cups buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta)
1/2 cup jaggery — grated
1 cup water (approximately — adjust to thin batter)
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
a pinch of salt
ghee for cooking
Method
Dissolve jaggery in warm water: Place grated jaggery in a bowl. Pour 1/2 cup warm water over it. Stir until the jaggery dissolves completely. If there are any solid pieces left, strain through a strainer.
Make the batter: Place buckwheat flour, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt in a wide bowl. Pour the dissolved jaggery water over the flour while whisking. Add more water gradually — about 1/2 cup more — whisking continuously until a smooth, thin, pourable batter forms. The batter should flow freely from a ladle, slightly thicker than milk but thinner than dosa batter.
Rest the batter: Cover and rest for 10 minutes. This allows the buckwheat flour to hydrate fully.
Check batter consistency: After resting, stir the batter. If it has thickened significantly, add 2 tbsp more water. Lift the ladle and let batter fall — it should flow in a thin, steady stream.
Heat the griddle on medium: Heat a flat griddle on medium heat. Add 1 tsp ghee and spread with a paper towel.
Pour the aktori: Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the centre of the hot griddle. Lift the griddle and tilt in a circular motion to spread the batter into a thin round about 15 to 16 cm. The batter will spread easily. Work quickly.
Cook until edges firm: Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes without touching until the edges darken slightly and lift from the griddle. The top surface will change from shiny to dry and matte.
Flip gently: Flip with a thin flat spatula. The underside should be golden-brown.
Cook second side briefly: Cook 1 to 1.5 minutes on the second side.
Apply ghee and serve: Remove and apply a few drops of ghee. Serve warm. The aktori should be slightly sweet from the jaggery, earthy from the buckwheat and fragrant from cardamom.
Note: Aktori is made during Diwali in Himachal Pradesh — specifically in the buckwheat-growing areas of Kullu, Mandi and Kinnaur where the autumn buckwheat harvest coincides with the Diwali season. The freshly harvested buckwheat flour gives aktori a flavour different from stored flour. In Kinnaur district, aktori is also made during the local Fulaich and Phulaich (Flower Festival) celebrations as an offering.