Best Homemade East Indian Chapati Bread Recipes

HOMEMADE EAST INDIAN CHAPATI BREAD

Steps:

• MEASURE the dry CHAPATI RECIPE ingredients first into large bowl of a food processor (omitting butter and water); PROCESS for 10 seconds; LEAVE processor running.
• ADD butter through feeder tube; PROCESS 10 seconds; WHISK the yogurt together with the water; SLOWLY pour yogurt/water mixture through feeder tube of processor while running; PROCESS dough ingredients until it forms a ball, about one minute.
• REMOVE dough from processor.
• DIVIDE the dough into 8 equal portions; ROLL out each piece to a circle between 1/16-1/8 inch thick on a well-floured surface (for crispy chapatis roll dough to 1/16''); SPRINKLE one side with desired toppings and/or seeds; LIFT chapati gently with a metal spatula; SPRINKLE other side with toppings; GENTLY roll top surface with a rolling pin.
• PLACE a heavy iron skillet over high heat until steam rises from it: LOWER heat to medium; ADD the first chapati to the pan.
• TURN the chapati over with a spatula when it begins to brown and bubble slightly (press down any high bubbles with spatula if necessary).
• TURN chapati once again.
• REMOVE the cooked chapati from the pan; BASTE lightly with melted butter or ghee; KEEP warm in foil lined with a paper towel.
• REPEAT the same cooking process for the remaining chapatis.
• SERVE warm with your favorite Indian entree with CUCUMBER-MINT YOGURT SAUCE or Major Grey chutney and enjoy!

CHAPATI (EAST AFRICAN BREAD)

Steps:

• Mix 2 cups flour and salt together in a bowl. Slowly mix in enough water to make a thick dough. Mix in oil until combined.
• Knead dough on a cool surface for a few minutes, adding a few spoonfuls of flour. Return dough to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
• Divide dough into orange-sized balls. Flatten into 6-inch circles. Fry in batches in the hot skillet, turning once, until golden brown and spotted, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Keep chapatis warm in the oven.

CHAPATI BREADS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt and, if desired, garlic powder. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 10 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 6-in. circle. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook breads over medium heat until lightly browned, 1 minute on each side. Keep warm.

CHAPATI

Steps:

• If working by hand: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the salt and the flour. Make a well in the middle and add the warm water. Mix with your hand or with a spoon until you can gather it together into a dough (depending on your flour, you may need a little extra water or a little extra flour to make a kneadable dough). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. If using a food processor: Place the flour and salt in the processor and pulse to blend. With the blades going, slowly pour the water through the feed tube. Leave the machine on for about 15 seconds after a ball of dough forms, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or for up to 12 hours. (The longer the dough stands, the more digestible the breads and the easier they are to shape.)
• Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball under your lightly cupped palm. Place some flour on your work suface, dust your palm with flour, and flatten each ball in the flour, pressing both sides into the flour in turn.
• To shape the breads, work with one piece at a time (leaving the others lightly covered). Working on a lightly floured surface, and without turning the bread over, flatten it with a rolling pin, rolling from the center outward, with light strokes, and rotating the bread slightly between each stroke, until the bread is 7 to 8 inches (17 to 20 centimeters) in diameter. Repeat with the remaining 7 breads, keeping the others loosely covered. Do not stack the rolled out breads; if you don't have enough counter space for the breads, roll out just a few and begin cooking, then roll out the others as the breads are cooking.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Rub the surface with a well oiled cotton cloth or paper towel. When the griddle is hot, place a chapati top-side down on the griddle.
• Let it cook for only 10 to 15 seconds, then gently flip to the second side. Cook on the second side until small bubbles begin to form, approximately one minute. Turn the chapati back to the first side and finish cooking (another minute approximately). At this stage, a perfect chapati will start to balloon. This process can be helped along by gently pressing on the bread. The bread is hot, so we find the easiest method is to use a small cotton cloth or a paper towel wadded up to protect your finger tips. Gently press down on a large bubble forcing the bubble to extend itself wider.
• If the bread starts to burn on the bottom before it has ballooned, move the bread (with the help of your paper towel) across the skillet, dislodging it from the point at which it is beginning to burn.When you are satisfied with your chapatti, remove it and wrap in a clean towel. Continue to cook the other breads, stacking each as it is finished on top of the others and wrapping it to keep it soft and warm.

CHAPATIS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough that is elastic but not sticky.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-10 mins until it is smooth. Divide into 10 pieces, or less if you want bigger breads. Roll each piece into a ball. Let rest for a few mins.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat until hot, and grease lightly. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the balls of dough until very thin like a tortilla.
• When the pan starts smoking, put a chapati on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, about 30 seconds, then flip and cook on the other side. Put on a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the chapatis.

HOMEMADE EAST INDIAN NAAN BREAD (MADE EASY)

Steps:

• STIR one (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast into warm water; LET sit for 10 minutes.
• MEASURE 2 cups all-purpose flour into a medium bowl; ADD 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda; MIX well; ADD 2 tablespoons oil and 2 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt; MIX until crumbly.
• POUR the water and yeast mixture over flour; and make into soft dough; KNEAD the dough until smooth.
• COVER dough with a kitchen towel; KEEP in a warm place until dough doubles in volume, between 3 - 4 hours.
• SET oven rack in center position; PLACE a pizza stone in center of rack (NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PIZZA STONE, A CAST-IRON DUTCH OVEN OR GRIDDLE MAY BE USED); PREHEAT the oven to BAKE at 500°F , for at least twenty minutes until pizza stone is properly tempered; SET the BROILER to HIGH.
• LUBRICATE hands lightly with canola oil; KNEAD dough 2-3 minutes; DIVIDE dough into 6 equal portions.
• FLOUR a rolling board; ROLL each piece of dough on floured board with a rolling pin, into rounded shapes about 1/4-inch thick and no wider than 8 inches (they don't have to look perfect); RE-DUST board with flour as needed; REPEAT with remaining dough portions.
• WET hands lightly; TAKE Naan discs and flip them between your palms before placing them CAREFULLY onto hot pizza stone in oven without touching the stone (do not set more than two Naan at a time over stone); CLOSE oven door.
• BROIL-BAKE Naan on pizza stone in closed oven for 2-3 minutes (keep a close watch on timing); REMOVE baked Naan from stone with a spatula and/or tongs, wearing oven mitts; BASTE with suggested additions if desired (RE-TEMPER pizza stone for 3 minutes before continuing with your next batch).
• BASTE baked Naan with suggested BASTE; KEEP warm in lined bread basket until serving; SERVE with dipping sauce if desired and ENJOY!