Chapatis

So why so much Indian food lately? I’m not sure really. I do know I’m fascinated by the spices. I love the seemingly endless combinations of spice mixtures that make the foundation of almost all the dishes. I like the contrasts of the hot with the mild, the savory with the sweet, the color and smell of the spices, both pleasant and pungent. I love finding new gadgets to play with, gadgets that make me feel that using them in preparing the meal makes the meal seem much more authentic. The last time I was at the store I bought a cast-iron Karhai Balti pan, which is kind of like a wok in shape and function. This time I bought a small rolling pin. The rolling pin is going to help me make some homemade Chapatis, something I’ve been eager to try for quite some time. I suppose I’m going through an Indian food phase, its not uncommon for me to concentrate on one cuisine for long periods of time, but instead of trying to read too much into it, I'm just going to relax and enjoy the learning experience and the food. Sometimes its best not to over analyze things.

Now, Let’s make some Chapatis!

Madhur Jaffrey’s recipe, from her book World Vegetarian won out over all the other recipes I came across simply because her instructions seemed like the least complicated, and they were. I can now say I made chapatis and survived! One thing I didn’t like was that she didn’t give an alternate to use in the event that one couldn’t get Chapati Flour. I did find an alternate in another cookbook, the food of India. The authors of that book suggest using 100g each of whole meal and plain flour. If anyone would like to try this at home and and want to use but can’t get Chapati flour, I do highly recommend Kalustyan’s, its really a great place to shop, especially on Fridays.

Put two cups of Chapati flour into a bowl, if you wish you can add a ½ teaspoon of salt to the flour, I did, although according to Jaffrey this is not really traditionally done. To the salt/flour mixture, slowly pour ¾ cups of water PLUS 2 tablespoons into the bowl, pouring just enough water so that you can gather the dough and make it into a ball. I used all the water, so don’t be surprised if you do too. Knead well for 10 minutes*. Make a smooth ball and place into a bowl, cover with a damp towel and let sit for 30 minutes.

*I’ve come to learn the importance of kneading dough for the time given. 10 minutes is the ideal time for the gluten to develop, this makes for better, more uniform results. Anything less would not be good and anything more would overdevelop the gluten, which can also lead to problems when cooking. So, if a recipe says knead for 10 minutes then 10 minutes it should be.

I’m also starting to notice a pattern to my kneading technique. I use the heel of my palm and I push the dough away from me in a sort of rhythm. push push, turn, fold, pause, push push, turn, fold, pause, and so on… There was a discussion about kneading technique in the comments over at Blue’s a few days ago, the entry is titled "One mustn't fear the rising of the yeast". This got me thinking and I started paying more attention to what my technique was and that's when I noticed the pattern. Pretty neat, eh?

After 30 minutes, (I admit I left mine for 60 minutes because I was making the rest of dinner, which was meant to be eaten with the chapatis) take the dough which will have turned kind of soft and divide into 12 balls. To make even-ish balls, I had to sneak some dough off the other ones, that’s why some of them look kind of weird. Keep them covered while you work otherwise they will dry out. Set a cast-iron frying pan or griddle on the stove over medium-high heat and let the pan get nice and hot. Set aside a dish with some paper towels or a tea towel, just so that you have something to cover and keep the chapatis warm while you’re making the others. Crumple a paper towel into a small wad and set aside.

Dust your work surface well with flour, then take a ball and roll it into a 5-1/2 inch disc on the floured surface. My first attempts were kind of lame, the dough was wet, not sopping, but just enough to be tacky, so I needed A LOT of flour to be able to handle it. I got progressively better as I went, by the 12th ball I was an old pro. yeah right Once you have your disc, lift it and shake it out to get rid of the excess flour. The dough is surprisingly sturdy and if you use a firm but gentle hand (does that make sense?) it won’t tear. SLAP that chapatti onto the hot griddle. Let it cook for about 45 seconds, turn it over and cook the other side for another 35 to 45 seconds. Turn again, cook another 6 seconds, this time pushing down on it with the wad of paper towel, rotating it a little with each push*. Be careful not to burn yourself, like I did.

*You have to do this step kind of fast and it’s not really easy, I found that if you just let the chapatti stay on the griddle and push it around a bit, it will still sort of puff up which is what you are trying to achieve. Some worked well, others didn't. It was really hit or miss, I’m not sure why, but I didn’t let it bother me either.

Once it’s puffed and cooked, it will turn slightly darker in color, the dough will feel stiffer and you will have some char burns, transfer it to a plate and keep it covered while you make the rest of the batch. Before putting the next chapati on the pan, wipe or brush the excess flour from the pan, otherwise it will burn. I was able to roll out a disc while 1 disc was cooking. Surprisingly soon I got the "groove" down and I was able to whip out the 12 chapatis without much mishap.

Jaffrey says they taste best when freshly made and she’s right, but if you have leftovers, like we did, she says they can be kept in a plastic bag in the fridge or freezer. To reheat, just wrap a bunch in foil and put them in a medium oven for 15 minutes. She also says you can sprinkle a little water on individual ones and reheat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds or slap onto a hot, lightly greased griddle for a few seconds on each side too.

We ate ours with Kheema Matar which is a lamb and pea minced dish that I will write about at some point in the next few days. The chapatis were good, I’m sure there were little mistakes I made along the way, for a first attempt they weren’t perfect, but since they get eaten and not framed for wall hanging, who cares, right.

Written by Deb on October 25, 2003 04:27 AM