Chapati chapati..how many ways do i love thee…
I could go all Shakespearean and spew odes about chapati…
This Asian delicacy tha is a favourite of mine is something I could eat all week.
In a forum that I am a member of,someone asked how she could make the perfect chapatis.
Everyone gave her ideas on how to make them but they forgot to give her the measurement of the ingredients she would use to make them.
Like cake making,chapati making is a precise art,once you get the measurements wrong nothing ever seems right after that.
In a bid to correct this I have written out my fool-proof chapati recipe that has everyone asking for more.You can find a another recipe chapati recipe where i mixed wheat flour with gram flour here .
I need also to mention that to be great at making chapatis,you need patience and lots of practice,i will never forget how first chapatis were as hard as biscuits with time I have become good at it.
Ingredients
2 cups each white and brown flour plus an extra 1 cup for rolling out and needing
3 level tablespoons softened butter
1.5 cups warm water
2 tablespoonfuls of chopped spring onions
1 level tablespoon of sugar
1 level teaspoon salt
1 cup corn oil
Method
1.In a bowl sift flour,sugar and salt together then add your butter.Using clean fingers rub in the butter in the flour till it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
2.Add your chopped spring onions and using a fork mix them into the flour.
3.Make a well in the centre of your flour and add the warm water and working from the centre outwards mix in the flour till you have a soft lumpy dough.
4.Turn the dough onto a clean surface and working with clean hands use your palms to kneadt he flour turning it over frequently and making sure to dust flour your working surface to prevent the dough from sticking.
5.Chapati flour does not need to be kneaded for too long just work it till you have a soft ,elastic dough that does not stick to your work surface.
6.Once your dough is read,shape it into a ball .Clean your bowl,dry it and return the dough to the bowl , drizzle a tablespoon and a half of your cooking oil onto the dough then roll your dough round the bowl to make sure every inch is covered with oil.
7.Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set it aside for 20 to 30 minutes to give it time to rest.This is what gives your chapatis a soft texture as the gluten strands have had enough time to rest from all the kneading .
Rolling out
After 30 minutes get your round ball of dough and using a sharp kitchen knife divide the dough into 2 equal halves then quarter it,each quarter gives your about 4-5 balls each of dough.
Rollout each ball of dough out to about 1/8 of an inch round ,drizzle about half a tablespoon each of good vegetable oil and spread it evenly all over your rolled out dough, using the back of a spoon or a pastry brush.
Roll your dough into a thin cylindrical shape and then into a spiral and set aside,repeat this with each of your balls .
Cooking
Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat,get each chapati ball and roll it out into 1/8 of an inch round ,put it on the heavy skillet till you see bubbles on the surface then you know its time to turn,oil the cooked side then turn it over oil the second side,turn again and once it lightly browned your chapati is ready to be turned onto a flat platter and covered with a clean kitchen cloth.
Repeat this procedure with the rest of the balls of chapati.
MARIDADI LIVING WITH INA 