Indian Flat Bread-Chapatti

This is my first attempt at making Indian Flat Bread or also known as Chapatti. You know, it was so easy to make that I’m sort of kicking myself for not trying earlier! All you need is some “Atta flour or Chapatti flour” and water. Chapattis are great with any Indian meal. I like to have the flat bread with some curry, chutney, or any legumes dishes. So, don’t wait any longer .. Try making your own chapatti instead of having rice for a change. :-)


Recipe adapted from Mahdur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

Indian Flat Bread-Chapatti
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

250 g (9 oz) Chapatti, Atta, Wheat-meal Flour, plus extra for dusting
About 175 ml (6 fl oz) Water

Method

Put the bowl in a large bowl. Slowly add the water, gathering the flour together as you do so to form soft dough. Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes or until it is smooth. Put the dough in a bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for 30 minutes.

Set an Indian tava or any other cast-iron frying pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. When it is very hot, turn the heat to low.

Knead the dough again and divide it, roughly into 15 parts. It will be fairly sticky, so rub your hands with a little flour when handling it.

Take one part of the dough and form a ball. Flour your work surface generously and roll the ball in it. Press down on the ball to make a patty. Now roll this patty out, dusting it very frequently with flour, until it is about 14 cm (5 ½ inches) in diameter.

Pick up this chapatti and pat it between your hands to shake off extra flour and then slap it on to the hot tava or frying pan. Let it cook on low heat for about a minute. Its underside should develop white spots. Turn the chapatti over and cook for about 30 seconds on the second side.

Take the pan off the stove and put the chapatti directly on top of the low flame. It should puff up in seconds. (Alternatively, use two burner.) Turn the chapatti over and let the second side sit on the flame for a few seconds. Put the chapatti on a deep plate lined with a large napkin. Fold the napkin over the chapatti. Make all chapatti this way.

Ideally, chapattis should be eaten as soon as they are made. But if you wish to eat them later, wrap the whole stack in aluminum foil and either refrigerate for a day or freeze. The chapattis may be re-heated, still wrapped in foil, in a 220˚C/425˚F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes about 15 Chapattis.