Crunchy Indian chapattis
Chapattis, loved all over the world, are India’s culinary gift to the world. There is no standard recipe as the quantities of flour and water and the method used to prepare chapattis differs from home to home.
Typical Indian chapattis, however, are made from whole meal flour known as atta, which is finer than ordinary whole meal flour. This flour is available from Indian groceries and most large supermarkets. You may nevertheless, get similar results by combining equal quantities of whole meal flour with plain wheat flour.
Indian chapattis are nice and crunchy.To achieve this crunchiness, the chapattis must be rolled out quite thin before cooking. The basic ingredients- wheat flour, a little cooking oil, salt and water-are cheap and widely available, making chapattis a cost effective snack or side dish the whole family can enjoy. You may enrich your chapattis by adding a beaten egg or two if you wish.
Ingredients
Makes 10
230g (2 cups) Atta flour, or 115g each of wholemeal and wheat flour
1 egg (optional)
175ml (¾ cup) water
Extra flour for mixing if using an egg and for rolling
A little cooking oil for frying
½ tsp salt
Method
1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Beat the egg if using, and gradually add it in with the water, mixing well with your fingers to form a dough. If you do not use the egg, simply pour the water in the centre and mix well to form a dough.
2. Knead the dough until it is supple. Cover with a polythene paper and leave the dough to rest for about 20 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and roll each piece into a circle, on a well-floured surface to avoid it sticking.
4. Put 1 teaspoonful of cooking oil in a heavy frying and swirl it around so that the bottom of the pan is covered with oil. Heat the pan for a few seconds on high heat, lower the heat to medium and fry a chapatti one side, pressing it down with a flat spatula for a few minutes, or until it turns to golden.
5. Turn it on the other side and cook it pressing down, until golden. Repeat the process, until all the chapattis have been cooked. Serve as a snack or side dish.
