Chapati Food

CHAPATI (INDIAN FLAT BREAD)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and the salt. Add 3/4 cup of the warm water while mixing constantly with your hands till the dough is moist. Add the remaining water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing constantly with your hands. Keep working the dough till the dough forms a ball and holds its shape. (The dough will be stiff).
• Dampen your hands. Keep the dough in the mixing bowl to knead. Knead in an additional 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, if necessary, to make a moderately stiff dough. Knead dough till smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes). Continue dampening hands, as needed, during kneading. The dough is ready for shaping when you can lightly and quickly press two fingertips 1/4 inch into the dough and the dough springs back.
• Shape the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with a damp towel. Let the dough stand in a warm place for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 1 to 2 minutes more. Divide the dough in half. Form each half into a 12 inch long roll. Cut each roll into 12 one-inch pieces. Flatten each piece of dough with the palm of the hand.
• Sprinkle some flour over the flattened balls. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
• On a well floured surface roll the flattened ball into a circle 7 to 8 inches in diameter, turning the dough over once and firmly pressing and stretching the dough with the rolling pin.
• Roll around the rolling pin, and transfer to a hot, greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 1/2 to 1 minute or until tiny brown spots appear. Using tongs, turn and cook 30 seconds more. Remove from heat; Brush with Usli Ghee or melted shortening. Repeat with the remaining balls.
• Stack the hot Chapati in a napkin-lined breadbasket to keep warm. Serve immediately.

CHAPATI RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients. Continue kneading for 5 minutes until it is soft and pliable.
• Divide the dough into portions between 40g to 45g each.
• Apply some oil on the top of the dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it relax for fifteen to twenty minutes.
• Flour the work surface heavily.
• Flatten the dough with your palm. Dip the dough into some flour and shake off the excess.
• Roll out the dough with the rolling pin to a circle of 15cm/6inches in diameter. (Please refer to the video for demonstration).
• Set the stove to medium-high to heat the tawa.
• Place the chapati on the tawa. When some larger bubbles appear, turn it over to the other side and cook for another half a minute.
• When some brown spots are starting to form at the bottom, flip it over again so that the side with the brown spots is on top.
• Tap to deflate the air to avoid the chapati's contact point with the tawa from burning due to high heat.
• Flip the chapati a few times until you get the desired color and remove it from the tawa.
• Apply a light coating of ghee on the top side.

CHAPATI (EAST AFRICAN BREAD)

Steps:

• Mix 2 cups flour and salt together in a bowl. Slowly mix in enough water to make a thick dough. Mix in oil until combined.
• Knead dough on a cool surface for a few minutes, adding a few spoonfuls of flour. Return dough to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
• Divide dough into orange-sized balls. Flatten into 6-inch circles. Fry in batches in the hot skillet, turning once, until golden brown and spotted, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Keep chapatis warm in the oven.

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.

INDIAN CHAPATI BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour 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 until it is smooth. Divide into 10 parts, or less if you want bigger breads. Roll each piece into a ball. Let rest for a few minutes.
• Heat a skillet 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. Continue with remaining dough.

CHAPATIS

Steps:

• You will need a medium-sized bowl, a rolling pin, a castiron griddle or heavy skillet, and a small cotton cloth or a paper towel.
• In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the salt and the flour. Make a well in the middle and add just less than 1 cup warm water. Mix with your hand or with a spoon until you can gather it together into a dough (depending on the condition of your flour, you may need a little extra water or a little extra flour to make a kneadable dough). Turn out onto a lightly floured bread board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth or a plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours. The longer the dough stands, the more digestible the breads.
• Divide the dough into 8 pieces and flatten each with lightly floured fingers. Continue flattening with a rolling pin until each piece is 8 inches in diameter. Once you have started rolling, roll out each bread without flipping it over. To keep the bread from sticking to your bread board, make sure that the bread is lightly floured underneath. Cover the breads with the damp towel or plastic wrap as you roll out others (make sure not to stack the rolled out breads; if you don't have enough counterspace for the breads, roll out just a few and begin cooking, rolling out the others as the breads cook).
• Heat a castiron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. When the griddle is hot, place a chapati on the griddle, top side of the bread down first. Let cook for only 10 seconds and then gently flip to the second side. Cook on the second side until small bubbles begin to form, approximately one minute. Turn the chapati back to the first side and finish cooking (another minute approximately). At this stage, a perfect chapati will start to balloon. This process can be helped along by gently pressing on the bread. The bread is hot, so we find the easiest method is to use a small cotton cloth or a paper towel wadded up to protect your finger tips. Gently press down on a large bubble forcing the bubble to extend itself wider. If the bread starts to burn on the bottom before it has ballooned, move the bread (with the help of your paper towel) across the skillet, dislodging it from the point at which it is beginning to burn.
• When you are satisfied with your chapati, remove it and wrap in a clean towel. Continue to cook the other breads, stacking each as it is finished on top of the others.

CHAPATI

Steps:

• If working by hand: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the salt and the flour. Make a well in the middle and add the warm water. Mix with your hand or with a spoon until you can gather it together into a dough (depending on your flour, you may need a little extra water or a little extra flour to make a kneadable dough). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. If using a food processor: Place the flour and salt in the processor and pulse to blend. With the blades going, slowly pour the water through the feed tube. Leave the machine on for about 15 seconds after a ball of dough forms, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or for up to 12 hours. (The longer the dough stands, the more digestible the breads and the easier they are to shape.)
• Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball under your lightly cupped palm. Place some flour on your work suface, dust your palm with flour, and flatten each ball in the flour, pressing both sides into the flour in turn.
• To shape the breads, work with one piece at a time (leaving the others lightly covered). Working on a lightly floured surface, and without turning the bread over, flatten it with a rolling pin, rolling from the center outward, with light strokes, and rotating the bread slightly between each stroke, until the bread is 7 to 8 inches (17 to 20 centimeters) in diameter. Repeat with the remaining 7 breads, keeping the others loosely covered. Do not stack the rolled out breads; if you don't have enough counter space for the breads, roll out just a few and begin cooking, then roll out the others as the breads are cooking.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Rub the surface with a well oiled cotton cloth or paper towel. When the griddle is hot, place a chapati top-side down on the griddle.
• Let it cook for only 10 to 15 seconds, then gently flip to the second side. Cook on the second side until small bubbles begin to form, approximately one minute. Turn the chapati back to the first side and finish cooking (another minute approximately). At this stage, a perfect chapati will start to balloon. This process can be helped along by gently pressing on the bread. The bread is hot, so we find the easiest method is to use a small cotton cloth or a paper towel wadded up to protect your finger tips. Gently press down on a large bubble forcing the bubble to extend itself wider.
• If the bread starts to burn on the bottom before it has ballooned, move the bread (with the help of your paper towel) across the skillet, dislodging it from the point at which it is beginning to burn.When you are satisfied with your chapatti, remove it and wrap in a clean towel. Continue to cook the other breads, stacking each as it is finished on top of the others and wrapping it to keep it soft and warm.