Indian pancake

[Avinash Sathaye]

In response to the query (Dominique THILLAUD ):

DT>             I'm unable to find what could be the Sanskrit word(s) for
DT>   'pancake', id est a thin disk-shaped bread/cake made by a
DT>    movement of rotation on a pan or in the hands.  Someone able to help me?
DT>    Thanks in advance,

Edeltraud Harzer Clear wrote:

> Dear Professor Thillaud,
> I believe the word you are looking for is:
> roTI or roTIkA > which is a flat bread on the style of pita
> bread rather than a pancake.
>
> best,
> Edeltraud Harzer Clear
> Asian Studies
> University of Texas at Austin


As already noted, roTikA is not quite a pancake but unleavened bread.
I found the wordfor pancake to be "ghaavana (m.)" in a book called
nighaNtaratnaakara.

This book is not a classic, since it was published in 1867, but claims to
consolidate old books. It contains a description of properties of
various materials (edible or not!) as well as details of Ayurveda -
both diagnosis and treatment. It is in Sanskrit with Marathi
translation.

For some strange reason, it also contains detailed recipes for
cooking! I can supply more details
if needed. The original author was one Vaidya V. V. Godbole.



P.S. Monier Williams does not give any word but a descriptive phrase -
probably coined by himself. The word ghaavana is certainly in use in
Marathi even today! It is possible that the
author might have Sanskritized it, but I will let other experts decide
on the origin.


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