Chapattis

This popular flat bread is made from unleavened atta flour, a finely ground wholemeal (whole-wheat) flour made from durum wheat. Traditionally, chapattis are served fresh from the kitchen one at a time and are usually pounced upon as soon as they hit the table. If you can’t eat them all straight away, you can freeze them, then thaw as needed and reheat in the microwave.

Chapattis. Credit: Jana Liebenstein / Hardie Grant Books

• makes

  4-6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) atta flour
• Vegan ghee to serve (optional)

Resting time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually pour in 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water while working in the flour, adding a little more water if necessary to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 15 minutes, or until the dough is pliable and not sticky. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 4–6 balls, each about the size of a golf ball. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough until it is thin like a tortilla and about 18 cm (7 in) in diameter.
3. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Dry-cook a chapatti for about 1 minute, then turn over and cook the other side for a further 40 seconds, carefully pressing down around the edges of the chapatti with a clean tea towel (dish towel) until it puffs up in the centre. Repeat with remaining chapatti.
4. Spread with a little ghee, if desired, and serve immediately.

 

This is an edited extract from Vegan Indian Food by Ragini Day (Hardie Grant Books, RRP $45). Photography by Jana Liebenstein (recipes) and Brett Cole (India).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.