Chapati, chapatti, or roti - making unleavened flatbread the traditional way
There is nothing more satisfying than scooping up the last drop of a lentil dhal with a warm chapatti and this simple meal is a staple weekday dish in our house. To date however, our chapattis have been bought ready made and heated in a hot pan, so the bread making lesson on my Indian cookery class was of particular interest. Once you have the knack of rolling them, they were surprisingly easy to make and even better to eat, fresh and warm from the pan.
Chapatti flour (atta) is made from a hard durum wheat and is a finely ground wholewheat flour. I'm keen on experimenting with other flours, buckwheat or spelt and if anyone has tried already, please let me know how you got on. I used a chapatti board (chakla or patli) and a chapatti rolling pin (velan) but any flat surface and normal rolling pin will do. To cook the chapattis you need a flat bottomed pan (tava) and remember to keep your chapattis no bigger than the size of your pan.
Chapattis (for 7-8)
8 heaped tbsp chapatti flour (or wholemeal flour), plus a little extra for rolling out
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I use rice bran oil)
hot water
Add the oil to the flour and rub in with one hand. Add the water a little at a time until you have a smooth, soft dough that comes together as a ball. With a little oil on your hands, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until it is soft and elastic then leave to rest for 15 minutes in a covered bowl. After resting, divide the dough into 7-8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball, kneading a little more as you do so. Put a couple of spoonfuls of flour on a plate for dusting when rolling out. Taking one ball of dough at a time, slightly flatten in your hand, dip into the flour on the plate and then roll out into a thin rough circle (keep to the size of your pan). Each chapatti should be even and a couple of millimetres thick. Roll out each piece of dough and place the uncooked chapattis on some baking parchment or a lightly floured flat surface.
Heat your (dry) pan so that it gets nice and hot. Add a chapatti and twirl it around a little so it doesn't stick. In less than a minute you should see a change in colour, a slight darkening, when you do, flip it over with tongs. Cook until the chapatti browns a little and puffs up then flip it over back to the first side, moving it around in the pan until brown spots appear. Place the cooked chapatti on a clean tea towel and repeat with the others, stacking the cooked chapattis on top of each other in the tea towel to keep them warm and moist.
Bonus recipe for left over chapattis - tortilla chips
Leftover chapattis can quickly be turned into tortilla chips so don't throw them away (in fact, it's worth making extra just to have some of these). Heat the oven to 200℃. Brush each chapatti with a little vegetable oil on both sides and cut into rough triangular shapes. Place in a single on a baking tray and sprinkle over flavourings of your choice. I used some za'atar for a little Mediterranean flavour but some chilli powder and a little sea salt or garam masala would also be great. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the tortillas look browned and crispy and cool in a bowl lined with a little kitchen paper. They will be gone in minutes and are great with some hummus or taramasalata.
Chapatti flour (atta) is made from a hard durum wheat and is a finely ground wholewheat flour. I'm keen on experimenting with other flours, buckwheat or spelt and if anyone has tried already, please let me know how you got on. I used a chapatti board (chakla or patli) and a chapatti rolling pin (velan) but any flat surface and normal rolling pin will do. To cook the chapattis you need a flat bottomed pan (tava) and remember to keep your chapattis no bigger than the size of your pan.
Chapattis (for 7-8)
8 heaped tbsp chapatti flour (or wholemeal flour), plus a little extra for rolling out
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I use rice bran oil)
hot water
Add the oil to the flour and rub in with one hand. Add the water a little at a time until you have a smooth, soft dough that comes together as a ball. With a little oil on your hands, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until it is soft and elastic then leave to rest for 15 minutes in a covered bowl. After resting, divide the dough into 7-8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball, kneading a little more as you do so. Put a couple of spoonfuls of flour on a plate for dusting when rolling out. Taking one ball of dough at a time, slightly flatten in your hand, dip into the flour on the plate and then roll out into a thin rough circle (keep to the size of your pan). Each chapatti should be even and a couple of millimetres thick. Roll out each piece of dough and place the uncooked chapattis on some baking parchment or a lightly floured flat surface.
Heat your (dry) pan so that it gets nice and hot. Add a chapatti and twirl it around a little so it doesn't stick. In less than a minute you should see a change in colour, a slight darkening, when you do, flip it over with tongs. Cook until the chapatti browns a little and puffs up then flip it over back to the first side, moving it around in the pan until brown spots appear. Place the cooked chapatti on a clean tea towel and repeat with the others, stacking the cooked chapattis on top of each other in the tea towel to keep them warm and moist.
Bonus recipe for left over chapattis - tortilla chips
Leftover chapattis can quickly be turned into tortilla chips so don't throw them away (in fact, it's worth making extra just to have some of these). Heat the oven to 200℃. Brush each chapatti with a little vegetable oil on both sides and cut into rough triangular shapes. Place in a single on a baking tray and sprinkle over flavourings of your choice. I used some za'atar for a little Mediterranean flavour but some chilli powder and a little sea salt or garam masala would also be great. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the tortillas look browned and crispy and cool in a bowl lined with a little kitchen paper. They will be gone in minutes and are great with some hummus or taramasalata.
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