Basic Rotis Or Chappatis Food

BASIC ROTIS OR CHAPPATIS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add the flour, making a small depression in the centre.
• Pour 1/4 cup water into the flour and start mixing with the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
• Add remaining water as required, until the flour comes together to form a dough.
• If the mixture is too dry and falls apart, add some more water; if it is too sticky and sticks to your fingers, dust it with some more flour.
• Now knead the dough well for about 5 to 10 minutes; the more you knead it, the softer your rotis will be.
• Cover and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat a heavy skillet on a low flame.
• Meanwhile, divide the dough into 6 lemon-sized balls and roll into 7-inch circles on a generously floured board using a rolling pin, adding sprinklings of flour to keep the roti from sticking to the rolling pin.
• Once the skillet is sufficiently hot, place one roti on it and increase the flame to medium-high.
• After about 20 seconds, turn the roti and cook on the other side.
• When small-medium bubbles start to appear on the surface of the roti (about 1 minute), remove it from the skillet, remove the skillet from the flame and turn the roti over directly on the flame.
• It should puff up completely; you might need some practice with it.
• Once it puffs up, remove it from the flame and serve hot with any vegetable side!
• Oh, and repeat the cooking procedure for all 6 balls.

CHAPPATIS (ROTI)

Steps:

• Put flour and salt in a bowl.
• Add water a cup at a time, kneading.
• When kneading, make your hand into a fist and roll your knuckles into the dough, folding edges in continuously, working in all the flour.
• When all the flour is kneaded into a ball, poke lots of holes into the ball of dough.
• Pour a little oil into the dough and knead it inches.
• Add the rest of the oil (the dough will look very oily and that's the way it should be).
• Cover with a clean cloth and let sit for at least an hour.
• Roll the ball in a little bit of flour so it's not sticky.
• Divide the dough into about 15-20 balls depending on how big you want the chappatis to be.
• Flour the counter/board.
• Roll out each ball to about 6 inches in diameter.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Fold in three (like you fold a letter).
• Now it should almost look like a long tube.
• Take one end of that tube and fold it in to the centre and gently press it inches.
• Take the other end of the tube and fold it over the seam.
• Now you should have a little bundle of dough.
• (In other words, fold the dough into thirds one way, and then the other).
• Flour a plate and place the bundles on them.
• Roll each one out to about 6-8 inch diamete, flouring counter/board as needed.
• On a flat cast iron disc (available at Indian grocery stores) or on a big frying pan (cast iron is best), heat pan, and put chappati on it.
• When it starts looking a bit translucent, flip it over.
• Brush with melted butter, shuffling it around the pan quickly, then a quick flip over, a bit of melted butter (it should start puffing up into a pillow like shape).
• Once it has small golden brown dots on both sides, take it off an put into a serving dish (cover with a clean cloth as you keep preparing the rest).
• You will have to adjust the heat during the whole frying process.
• Clean off the pan with paper towels or a clean cloth in between frying each chappati.
• Don't turn the chappatis too much, just once or twice is enough.

CHAPATI

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the 2 cups (250 g) of flour, salt and 1 tablespoon of ghee.
• Using the dough hook, while kneading at medium speed, gradually incorporate the water until obtaining a soft and elastic dough. It is also possible to use a bread maker or knead by hand. The amount of water to incorporate varies depending on the quality of the whole wheat flour.
• Place the dough on a floured work surface and mill it.
• If necessary, if the dough is not flexible and elastic enough, add a few drops of water to it and knead it for a few minutes on the work surface.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes. This will help the gluten to be released and the dough will become more elastic.
• At the end of 30 minutes, uncover the dough and knead it again, milling it with lightly oiled hands.
• Pour the remaining ghee in one bowl and the remaining flour in another bowl.
• Lightly flour a chakla or a work surface.
• Divide the dough into 12 pieces of equal weight.
• Pass each ball in the flour and place it on the chakla or the work surface.
• Using a belan or a thin rolling pin, roll each ball into a patty about ⅛ inch (2-3 mm) thick and 3 to 4 inches (12 to 15 cm) in diameter.
• Preheat a tawa, skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.
• Take the roti and turn it between the two palms to remove all traces of flour. Transfer the roti to the tawa.
• Flip the roti when the color begins to change and small air pockets form in about 5 to 10 seconds.
• For the other side, bake it directly over the flame using a pair of chimta or metal tongs, until there are brown spots on the roti.
• Place the roti on a baking sheet, brush it with a little melted ghee and, using metal tongs, grill them for a few seconds over a flame on both sides. If there is no direct flame, cook on the tawa for both sides.
• Repeat the process until all the balls of dough are used up.
• Enjoy the hot roti with any curry, dal, or vegetables.

QUICK BASIC CHAPATIS/ROTIS

Steps:

• Heat iron skillet or no-stick skillet on medium flame.
• Sift flour and salt into bowl. (If no sifter, fluff with fork.).
• With a wooden spoon, stir in oil, if using, and 1/4 C water, continue to slowly add water until enough water to form a ball.****.
• Turn onto floured surface. Knead for 20 strokes or until dough is elastic. Use only enough flour to keep dough from sticking.
• Divide dough into 4 golf-ball sized balls.
• Roll each in flour.
• With a rolling pin, roll out one ball into about an 8" thin circle. Keep a pile of flour beside you and dust the dough often but only enough to keep it from sticking.
• When skillet is hot enough to immediately sizzle dry a drop of water, put chapati on.
• When bubbles form on top of chapati (1-3 minutes), look at bottom. If it has a few brown spots, flip it over.
• The second side takes much less time, and when it has a few brown spots, remove the pan from the fire and toss chapati directly on the burner (With a gas stove--leave roti in pan and pan on burner, use spatula to massage roti and it will puff up -- Manjula shows how on YouTube). In a few seconds, it will puff up like a balloon. If it doesn't, the dough was not kneaded/rested long enough or there was too much flour worked inches.
• Remove from heat to plate. (Some people slap the air out first.).
• Brush with oil, if desired, to keep soft.
• Cover with towel to keep warm.
• Repeat with next ball. The second and later chapatis always seem to cook faster than the first.
• Serve warm.
• By your third batch, you'll be fast enough to roll out the next one while one is cooking!
• *chapati flour available at Indian food markets, chapati flour does not need to rest to come out properly, other flours do need to rest.
• **chapati flour substitute: 1/2 C whole wheat plus 1/2 C enriched white flour or 3/4 C, 1/4 C respectively (my favorite). Or 1 C all purpose white flour. If using this, after kneading, lest rest for 30 minutes in a warm place--or up to an hour if in cool place, until when you press your finger into it, it feels elasticky and springs back a little. Refrigerate now or continue with dividing into balls, etc.
• ***you can also make it up as much as 5 days ahead of time and store refrigerated in a ball wrapped in plastic. It's best to remove it from the fridge an hour or 2 before using, but if not, it'll just be a little more difficult to roll out.
• ****For flatbread beginners: If you get too much water, just add some flour. If you're new to this, as soon as all the flour is gathered in little balls go ahead and put it on a pile of flour on your work surface and if necessary work water into it a little at a time. It will not hurt the dough no matter how much you work with it -- it will only make it better because it activates the gluten which is what makes the layers you should see after cooking the chapati if you tear it apart -- if you do not see these after cooking, the dough was not worked long enough. Other than burning them, these are foolproof enough to always be edible!

WHOLE WHEAT UNLEAVENED BREADS (ROTIS)

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Stir in warm water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until a fairly stiff dough forms.
• Knead dough in bowl or on lightly floured surface 2 to 3 minutes or until dough becomes smooth and pliable. Brush dough with Clarified Butter and cover with plastic wrap; set aside 10 to 15 minutes. (At this point, dough can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours. When ready to roll, let dough stand at room temperature 30 minutes so it becomes soft and easy to handle.)
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces; return them to bowl and cover. Heat heavy 8-inch skillet over medium heat.
• Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll into 6-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Cook dough in skillet 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, until brown spots start to form on bottom and bubbles start to appear on surface. Remove from skillet; brush with butter. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Wrap cooked breads in aluminum foil to keep warm while cooking remaining dough.

CHAPATIS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough that is elastic but not sticky.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-10 mins until it is smooth. Divide into 10 pieces, or less if you want bigger breads. Roll each piece into a ball. Let rest for a few mins.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat until hot, and grease lightly. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the balls of dough until very thin like a tortilla.
• When the pan starts smoking, put a chapati on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, about 30 seconds, then flip and cook on the other side. Put on a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the chapatis.