Coconut Dairy Milk Sel Roti: How To Fry Evenly & Flavor Perfectly

Written by Bhavana Verma | September 28, 2025

Sel roti is a classic Nepali dessert made with fermented rice flour batter. The batter is kneaded with milk or water and sweetened with mashed ripe bananas, sugar, flavored with cardamom, cloves and a pinch of nutmeg and fermented overnight to rise. After fermentation, the batter becomes light and sticky, which is then shaped into rings like loops or small doughnuts and then deep fried in ghee in a large iron skillet. Sel roti is a festive treat in Nepalese cuisine made especially during Dashain and Tihar which are two of the major festivals in Nepal. Apart from the festivities, sel roti is often enjoyed as a snack in Northern part of India and it pairs up well with evening tea.

Bringing a new twist to the classic Nepali sweet, this recipe will create a new and innovative flavor with the addition of coconut and Dairy Milk chocolate. With the addition of Dairy Milk chocolate and coconut, sel roti gets a modern makeover that makes it taste even better than chocolate donuts. The thin shape of sel roti makes it even more crispier than donuts while still remaining softer on the inside. Follow the recipe to make coconut Dairy Milk sel roti at home in easy steps and check out the tips below on how to fry sel roti evenly.

Recipe For Coconut Dairy Milk Sel Roti

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice - soaked for 6 hours, then drained
• ½ cup grated coconut (fresh or desiccated)
• ¾ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ cup melted ghee or butter
• ¾ cup water (adjust consistency)
• 1 Dairy Milk chocolate bar (melted)
• Oil or ghee for deep frying

Method:

Step 1: Blend Rice & Coconut

Combine soaked and drained rice and grated coconut in a blender. Blend it to a smooth batter. Add some water gradually when needed if you see coarse crumbs of rice.

Step 2: Add Sugar & Flavoring

Flavor the rice batter with some sugar, cardamom powder, and melted ghee. Blend it again until sugar is completely mixed.

Step 3: Check Batter Consistency

After blending, you should get an evenly thick, smooth, and pourable consistency. It should not be watery. If you added too much water by mistake, add some rice flour or if the batter is too thick, water it down a little bit.

Step 4: Mix in Melted Dairy Milk

Melt Dairy Milk chocolate and add it to the prepared rice flour batter. Combine well without deflating the batter.

Step 5: Heat Oil for Frying

Take a wide pan and in it heat up some oil or ghee for deep frying. Keep the pan on medium flame.

Step 6: Shape & Fry the Sel Roti

Fill up a piping bag with the prepared batter and pour the batter in circular shape directly into the hot oil. Fry only one at a time so the shape doesn't get ruined and sel roti doesn't stick to each other.

Step 7: Cook Until Golden

After one side becomes golden, flip it over to cook on the other side. Both sides will take about 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure to flip gently with two sticks or a spoon.

Step 8: Drain & Cool

Remove sel roti from ghee and put on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve it warm with chocolate dip and store in an airtight container.

Tips And Tricks On How To Fry Sel Roti Evenly & Flavor Perfectly:

1. Control Oil Temperature Carefully

When frying, maintain medium and steady heat. If the oil is too hot, sel roti will brown quickly and remain uncooked from the inside. When the oil is too cold, sel roti will soak up excess oil and become greasy. Make sure to pipe sel roti when oil is hot.

2. Perfect the Batter Consistency

The batter should be thick yet pourable. If the batter is too thick, the rings won’t form and if it is too thin, the texture will become soggy. When you have accidentally made batter watery, thicken it by adding some rice flour, and if it is too thick, add some water to thin it down.

3. Use a Clean, Controlled Pouring Tool

To make perfect ring shapes, make sure to use a piping bag. If you don’t have piping bag, you can prepare a makeshift piping bag with milk sachets. Alternatively, you can also use a pouring jug with a small spout.

4. Balance the Chocolate & Coconut Flavors

Melted chocolate can bring a rich flavor but when added without care, the flavor can overpower and ruin the experience. To make sure you get the flavors of coconut and rice flour along with the flavor of chocolate, add melted chocolate only after the batter is well blended. You can also add chocolate as a drizzle after frying sel roti.