Pair chapatis with curry, lentil soup and rice for a full Indian dinner.
Chapati is an unleavened flat bread so widely eaten in India that it is considered a staple food. It is typically made in a clay tandoor oven and accompanies Indian curry, vegetable and lentil dishes. Traditional diners in India tear off bits of the bread and use it instead of cutlery to scoop up food. Chapati is a standard item on Indian restaurant menus both inside and outside of India, but you can easily make your own fresh chapatis at home on the stove using a frying pan.
Instructions
1. Combine 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour, ½ cup all-purpose white flour and salt in a bowl with a fork. Stir in the cumin seeds, if using. They are optional, but they do add a slightly spicy bite to the bread. Stir in the water and usli ghee or olive oil until the dough starts to come together. Usli ghee is an Indian-style clarified butter that can be purchased at many large supermarkets or grocery import shops.
2. Set aside the fork and turn the dough out onto a cutting board lightly dusted with flour. Wash and dry your hands again. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside. Let rest for one hour.
3. Remove the plastic wrap. Flour a knife and use it to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Take one of the pieces and set it on the floured cutting board and cover the other pieces with plastic wrap.
4. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out until it is ¼ inch thick. Brush some usli ghee or olive oil onto the dough with a pastry brush. Fold it in half and roll it out again. Then once more brush some usli ghee or olive oil onto the dough, fold it in half and roll it out. Transfer the piece to a plate. Do the same with the rest of the dough pieces.
5. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the first piece and cook until it begins to brown. Turn it over with the spatula. When the other side begins to brown, transfer it to a serving platter. Do the same with the rest of the pieces. You can serve the chapatis warm or at room temperature, but preferably accompanied by an Indian-style main dish.
Tags: ghee olive, plastic wrap, usli ghee olive, begins brown, cutting board
