Chapatis

Chapatis - Or 'Roti', flat bread served with ANYTHING! easy and quick to make, great with curries.

Note: India will try and tell you they invented it but don't believe them, Sainsburys have been doing it for WAY longer...

Ok first recipe, you ready? Fabulous...


Lets start of with and ingredients list shall we?

Iingredients:

• whole wheat flour
• water
• Butter (optional - but recommended for added tastiness)
• sunflower oil

Ok as you may have noticed I don't include measurements here, this is because the butter is used for spreading on the made chapatis, the water is added to the flour as needed, and the sunflower oil is just to grease the pan. Flour wise use enough to fill a third of a medium sized mixing bowl.

Equipment:

• Frying pan
• table spoon
• rolling pin
• small bowl for dusting flour
• Medium sized mixing bowl
• plastic Tupperware box for the fridge.
• plate - chapati size (think omlette sized)
• knife (spreading optional butter)
• Spatula ( flipping the chapati)
• OR a tea towel (wrapped around your hand, works just as well)

The 'How To' :


1. Hello and welcome to 'Can You smell Burning?', with me Your Host *inaudible static* Today we are going to be making chapatis! Mmmmmm! preparation should be no more then twenty minutes and cooking time around 30 seconds for each chapati. Ready? Then Lets get cooking!

First of all fill your mixing bowl a third of the way with whole wheat flour, this should be more than enough for at least 15-20 chapatis.

2. Add water reservedly, while kneading the flour until you get a soft dough like substance which should be light brown in colour.

3. The dough substance is known as 'ata' (pronounced 'ada') , after giving it a good kneed so its nice and soft, place in in your tupperware and leave in the fridge for ten minutes to settle slightly. This is so your chapatis are more easily moulded into shape.

4. While your waiting for the 'ata' to settle, pour some flour into a tiny bowl or plate for dusting, and place a frying pan on the Hob on a low heat.

5. Ata out of the fridge? Splendid!  Using your hands grab a handful of ata and begin to roll it into a ball. the ball needs to be a little smaller than the palm of your hand. ( If ata is sticky, try covering your hands in flour)

5. Now, using the rolling pin, Roll the ata into a nice round shape, like and omlette, pancakes are a bit too small. the height of the ata's edge should be around half the size of your little nail or less. It does not have to be a perfect circle, but please remember IT SHOULD NOT touch the sides of your frying pan.

6. Grease the frying pan with sunflower oil but don't drown it. Two table spoons should do it (Even better if you have a greasing brush) Dust the moulded ata with flour then place on the pan.

7. This is where you have to pay attention! chapatis cook very quickly! after 5 to ten seconds, flip the chapati on the other side (I used tongs, a spatula would work as well, or if your feeling brave, fingers) the chapati should begin to loose its light brown colour and now turning white. When this side has, flip it over once again, should not take more then another ten seconds. (if little brown patches persist, press down lightly with spatula, or wrap a tea towel around your hand and press.)

8. Now back to the original side, and twenty ish seconds in, the chapati should be white with dark brown spots as opposed to the uncooked light brown. Don't worry you'll know the difference ( if still unsure I will be posting photos of my own attempt soon) it will also appear to inflate. using a spatula or tea-towled hand pressed down on the edge and turn the chapatti round pressing anew part of the edge as you do until you have gone full circle. So: press, turn a new part of the chapati to the north of the pan. release. press new part. repeat. Hopefully that makes sense, If not let me know and I'll post a video demonstration.

9. Repeat on the other side. providing that there are no light brown patches, Congratulations you have just cooked your first chapati! No quickly place it on a plate before it burns! It is now you can decide to butter it or not, I recommend it, but that's a personal preference. Your kitchen, your rules.

NOTE: You may have to re oil the pan once every seven chapatis. No big deal.

NOTE: If you don't use all the un moulded ata, return it to the fridge were it will last three-five days.

P.s. Well Done! It was a little scary for me at first, but I had a friend there to teach and help me, So good for you learning by yourself! It would be nice to hear how you all got on, please comment below. Did it taste good, did it all work out ok, or even if you have any tips on the recipe I would be happy to hear them.

Thank you and Goodnight! x