Indian Bread Recipe - Chapati (Poli)
Servings : 10 chapatis
Style : Maharashtrain
Ingredients :
2 cups wheat flour,
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1 teaspoon oil,
warm water,
Method :
1. Mix flour, salt and oil.
2. Add warm water and keep mixing with hands to form a soft, pliable dough.
3. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let stand for at least 20 minutes.
4. Knead the dough again using some oil.
5. Make small balls of 2 inch diameter out of this dough.
6. Heat a griddle first on high heat. Once hot, turn the heat to medium.
7. Spread some wheat flour or rice flour on the rolling board.
8. Place the ball on the board. Roll each ball with a rolling pin into thin circles.
9. Apply rice flour or wheat flour to make the rolling easier.
10. Put on the hot griddle and roast one side. When the bubbles begin to form on the bottom side, immediately flip over. Similarly roast the other side.
11. Remove from the griddle and pat it to make fluffy.
12. Top with ghee and serve with any curry or pickle.
Tips for good chapatis :
1. Use pure wheat flour. Avoid the flour which has all purpose flour mixed in it.
2. For the chapati dough, proportion of water is also important. Do not add plenty of water. Also take care not to add very less.
3. Knead the dough gently and keep covered with a damp cloth for atleast 15 minutes. (However do not keep it for more than an hour) Then knead once more using some oil or water just before making the chapatis.
4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth as you roll out the chapatis. It keeps the dough soft.
5. The type and quality of chapati flour you get may vary from place to place. If chapati turns out to be hard after roasting, next time when you try chapatis, do not use oil in the dough. Or use very less.
6. Do not leave chapati on the griddle for long. Once done from both the sides, remove from the griddle.
7. After roasting, pat the chapati to remove any air out of it. It retains the softness.
Source : Mumbai-Masala
