How to Cook a Chapati
An experienced cook who loves cooking new things, especially Pakistani cuisine, Sam makes wonderful recipes that are worth trying.
Chapatis are very popular in the subcontinent.
Chapati is a flatbread and the staple food in much of the subcontinent. It is widely eaten in the rest of South Asia. It is usually eaten alongside other dishes from soups and vegetable dishes to being used as a wrap for sandwiches. Chapatis are made using a soft dough made of flour and water. Traditionally, they are prepared without salt to provide a bland background for spiced dishes. Once cooked, chapatis can be topped with butter.
Why Chapatis?
Chapatis are really very delicious and filling. They can be eaten as an accompaniment to almost every soup or curry. They can also serve as wraps. What makes chapatis an ideal recipe is the fact that cooking them requires little effort. Moreover, there are only three ingredients required (cooking oil included). You also do not need any yeast or baking powder or anything of this sort for chapati is a flatbread. You can easily make chapatis even if you lack basic cooking skills!
Cook Time
| Prep time | Cook time | Ready in | Yields |
|---|---|---|---|
15 min | 25 min | 40 min | Serves 6-7 people |
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 3 cups water
- 3-4 tbsp cooking oil (optional), You may need it for greasing your hands or for spraying on the pan.
What you will need is 4 cups of flour...
...and 3 cups of water.
Add 1 cup of water and mix well.
Add another cup of water gradually while mixing.
Make a dough by adding another cup. Knead well. Knead it using the knuckles of your hands.The purpose of kneading is to develop gluten in the dough.
The dough should look like this.
Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.The purpose is to develop gluten in the dough. After this the dough will become softer.
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Now take a rolling pin, a wooden board, some dry flour and a kitchen towel (for pressing the Chapati on hot pan).
Divide the dough in 13 separate pieces. If you want a Chapati of shorter diameters, you can divide the dough into more pieces.
Make a ball from one piece using your hands.
Cover the ball of dough with dry flour while flattening it. This will prevent it from sticking on the wooden board.
Flatten the ball of dough using a rolling pin. You are to flatten it in such a way that its circular shape will not distort...
...and result in a perfect circle.
Place it on a hot pan on a high flame.
Once the Chapati starts changing color, flip it over. Let it remain on that side for a minute. Press and rotate it using a kitchen towel.
Flip it over. Press and rotate it for half a minute. Your Chapati will start to rise.
After your Chapati has been fully cooked, remove it from the pan. Do not let the Chapati remain on the pan.
Use all the other pieces of dough to make the other Chapatis.
Tips for the Perfect Chapati
- You can grease your hands with cooking oil when making dough balls.
- If the pan dries too much while you are cooking, spray some cooking oil onto it. Cooking oil would make the pan's surface oily so your Chapati won't stick on it while you are cooking.
- It is preferable that you cook on a high or medium flame. Cooking on low flame will make your chapati hard and brittle instead of being soft.
- Take measured amounts of flour and water.
© 2017 Sam
