These simple, cheap, but tasty flatbreads are also known as roti, and are made from wheat flour. This recipe will make five to six medium sized chapatis. Simply scale the ingredients up or down to change the quantity. A non-stick tava pan is ideal for making chapatis, but a non-stick frying pan does the job too.
INGREDIENTS
- 200g Wheat Flour (Atta). Use Wholemeal, Medium Wholemeal or White Flour. Wholemeal is a healthier option, but White Flour produces softer chapatis.
- ½ tsp Salt
- 110ml Water. Lukewarm water is preferable to cold.
- 2 tsp Oil
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METHOD
- Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Form a hole in the centre and pour the water in.
- Mix with a single hand, and knead for 5 minutes until all the flour has been absorbed and the dough is firm yet a little pliable. It should not be sticking to your fingers.
- Add a little more flour/water if needed to get the right consistency. You may need more or less water depending on the type of flour being used.
- Coat with 2 tsp oil, cover with cling film or a damp paper towel and leave in a warm place to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare a surface on which to roll the chapatis, making sure it is clean and dry. Have some extra flour nearby.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan or tava for a few minutes until hot.
- Sprinkle some flour onto the rolling surface and rub some on the rolling pin.
- Pull off a lump of the dough about the size of a walnut, flatten into a disc shape, then dip each side in flour.
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- Using the rolling pin roll the disc into a thin circle shape about 15-18cm in diameter, flipping over and rotating by 90 degrees a couple of times until evenly thin.
- Slap the chapati between your hands a few times to get rid of excess flour.
- Place the chapati on the frying pan/tava, leave for 10 seconds then turn over.
- Gently pressing around the outside with a spatula will help air bubbles form and puff up (don’t ask me why this happens).
- Flip over once or twice more, until there are brown spots on both sides.
- When done, wrap the hot chapati in foil, or cover with a towel to keep them warm and prevent them drying out.
- Repeat until all are cooked. Consider rolling out all the chapatis prior to cooking to make life easier, or if you have an audience to impress, try rolling one out while another is cooking (not recommended unless you are highly practised).
NOTES
- All spoon measurements are level, i.e. 1 tsp=5 ml, 1 TBSP=15ml.
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Books by Richard Sayce
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